Dolly Parton‘s family gathered at her final resting place this morning, Friday, August 28, right beside her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean. Dean and Dolly tied the knot in 1966, and remained together until his death in March 2025. It is not immediately clear whether the icon has already been buried.
Dolly was an aunt, sister, 11-time Grammy winner, and season 7 “American Idol” mentor, among other titles.
Page Six exclusively reported on Friday afternoon that Dolly’s family members were seen earlier that day gathering to say their final goodbyes at the Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, where a place for her had already been designated beside her husband.
The report, published at 1:48 PM, says they were told by an insider that the burial site was “crawling with cops” and her former head of security and nephew Bryan Seaver, who previously announced her passing on Tuesday, arrived “looking somber.” Seaver, the son of Dolly’s sister Cassie, inherited his post as Dolly’s head of security from his father Larry Seaver. He appeared to be “in charge” of the intimate gathering, the outlet notes. He was seen coordinating with law enforcement and greeting people as they arrived, the story says.
The report says a dressed-up group arrived bearing flowers after an officer noted, “The family is en route.”
Video: Inside Woodlawn Masoleum
Last year a fan gave an up-close video walkthrough of the mausoleum where Dolly and Carl’s reserved resting places are located. As of filming, fans were able to come face-to-face with a plaque honoring Carl, and there was a guest book set up for visitors to sign and leave their respects.
Country Legends Porter Wagoner & Tammy Wynette Are Also Buried at Woodlawn
Dolly will share Woodlawn with her country music contemporaries Porter Wagoner and Tammy Wynette.
Wynette and Dolly collaborated on the 1993 trio album “Honky Tonk Angels,” joined by Loretta Lynn. Wynette died at just 55 of a pulmonary embolism 5 years after the projects completion, and Lynn died in her sleep of natural causes in 2022, at 90 years old.
‘Wicked Game’ Singer Chris Isaak Says Dolly Parton Did Something Incredibly Generous for Porter Wagoner
Rockabilly artist Chris Isaak, best known for his 1989 hit “Wicked Game,” paid his respects in an Instagram post alongside dozens of other showbiz figures the day after Dolly died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He shared a photo of a moment he shared with the star and reflected on how she consistently “seemed so positive and full of energy.” He added that she was “gracious and gorgeous” in person.”
Isaak then revealed he once learned from Dolly herself that the “Jolene” singer did an incredibly kind deed for Porter Wagoner, with whom she shared a special and complicated working relationship.
Isaak shared that during a Kenny Rogers special on which he and Dolly were both appearing, he asked her backstage if she would tell him whether a rumor he heard was true, and she agreed. “I said I’d heard that she once bought Porter Wagoner‘s song catalog when he was on hard times and a few years later, Porter asked if he could buy his songs back. She said no, she wouldn’t sell him back his songs but would give him back his songs. I asked if that was true. She said yes and nothing more,” he wrote.
Isaak then said learning of Dolly’s kind deed gave him an incredible level of respect for the star, especially knowing as a songwriter himself what an artist’s songs mean to them.
