Hordes of grieving Dolly Parton fans descended on her Nashville estate to pay tribute to the country star.
The 80-year-old died Tuesday after a “brief battle with cancer,” her representatives said.
The country legend’s death shocked the world, with grieving fans showing up at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday evening following the news.
Images shared on social media shows state troopers directing traffic as lines of people appear at her home with flowers and signs.
“We will always love you,” read a sign left by a fan, while others read “in the arms of Jesus” and “we love Dolly.”
The images appeared after a TMZ According to the report, Parton would be buried in a pair of high heels and a cotton dress next to her late husband Carl Dean.
The outlet spoke with Dolly’s cousin Bryan Seaver, who said she would be buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.
It was Seaver who announced the news that his aunt had died on Tuesday via a video message on Parton’s social media accounts.
The 80-year-old died Tuesday after a “brief battle with cancer,” her representatives said
Mourning fans began leaving flowers, signs, balloons and photos of the star outside her Tennessee home on Tuesday
“We will always love you,” read a sign left by a fan, while others read “in the arms of Jesus,” and “we love Dolly.”
Seaver praised his aunt for “living in the light” and said she was now “in the arms of Jesus” and in the company of her late husband Carl.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said.
Seaver fondly remembers joining Parton on tour when he was a child in the 1980s, saying she “opened doors not only for me but for her entire family to reach the potential that we didn’t even know was possible.”
He characterized her as ‘a farmer’s wife, just like her father. He tilled the soil. She cultivated songs and happiness’.
Seaver added, “Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful plush cotton bed because after a lifetime of carrying heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”
Dubbed the Queen of Country, Parton enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned six decades and was best known for her hits “Jolene” and “9 to 5.”
In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had stated that she still had “so many things I want to accomplish” and vowed to “keep working as long as I can to see it all come to life,” via People.
She also admitted that she had recently had “tough times with my health.”
Often referred to as the Queen of Country, Parton enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned six decades
Signs, candles and flowers are seen here on Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
“I’m dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she said, referring to her late husband, who passed away in March 2025.
Concerns about Parton’s health have loomed for months, with the pop culture icon regularly allaying her fans’ fears.
She withdrew from several public appearances, including a Las Vegas residency and the opening of a new attraction, NightFlight Expedition, at her Dollywood theme park.
The singer died just over a year after her husband, to whom she had been married for almost sixty years.
In her tribute at the time, Parton reflected on the “many wonderful years” they spent together, while expressing her deep love for Carl and thanking fans for their prayers.
“Carl and I have spent many wonderful years together,” she said. ‘Words cannot do justice to the love we have shared for over sixty years. Thank you for your prayers and condolences.”
Shortly after the news broke, tributes began pouring in for the singer, including one from President Donald Trump.
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest country singers, and beyond, EVER, has just passed away.
“This is a real loss for millions of people,” he said, adding that he has ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in her honor.
Trump continued, “There’s never been anyone like her, and there never will be. In her honor, I am lowering the American flag in the United States tonight at 6:00 PM for a period of one week. Rest in peace, Dollie! The world loves you.’
