Dolly Parton laid to rest as niece shares emotional tribute to ‘Granny’

Dolly Parton was laid to rest Friday, days after the country music icon died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee.

What they're saying:

Her niece, Lainey Mae Parton, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram Saturday, remembering the private moments and steady encouragement she received from her "Granny."

"This is a really hard post for me to make," Lainey Mae wrote. "I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words."

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"From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough," she continued. "She never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something. She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself."

Lainey Mae said she could not recall a bad memory with Parton, adding that the singer made her family feel deeply loved.

"Because she couldn’t have kids of her own, she always made us feel like we were hers," she wrote. "She loved us that way, and I’ll forever be grateful for that."

She recalled being invited to sing with Parton on the "Smoky Mountain DNA" album as a high school freshman.

"I was SO nervous," she recalled. "But she had a way of making me feel like nothing bad could happen. She made me feel safe, confident, and like I belonged right there beside her."

Lainey Mae also remembered Parton supporting her decision to attend beauty school instead of college.

"She financially supported me through school and helped me get my career started," she wrote. "She didn’t just tell me to chase my dreams, she helped me get there."

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The singer’s niece said she cherished the opportunities and memories they shared, including appearing in a movie with Parton.

"I have things I can watch, hear, and hold onto when I miss her," she wrote. "It still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone. I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4 AM calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again."

"I feel incredibly lucky that I got to call her my granny," Lainey Mae concluded. "Thank you for always believing in me, loving me, and making me feel like I could do anything. I love you, Granny. Always."

Parton died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer, according to a press release. She was surrounded by loved ones at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.

"Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched," her team said in a statement.

"Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand," the statement continued. "Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact."

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Parton’s long career produced hits including "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," "Here You Come Again," "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You," which became a global hit after Whitney Houston recorded it for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard."

She made her feature film debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 1980’s "9 to 5" and later appeared in films including "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "Rhinestone," "Steel Magnolias" and "Joyful Noise."

Parton was also known for her nearly 60-year marriage to Carl Dean, who largely remained out of the spotlight. Dean died in March 2025.

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Outside of entertainment, Parton built a Tennessee business empire that included Dollywood, one of the state’s most popular attractions. Through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, she also supported literacy efforts around the world.

Inspired by her father, who never learned to read or write, the Imagination Library provides free books to children from birth through kindergarten and has distributed millions of books to families internationally.

Parton wanted to be buried in a bed of soft cotton after a lifetime of wearing rhinestones, according to a tribute her nephew posted to Instagram the day she died.

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"Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness," he said in the video announcing Parton's passing. "Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because, after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest."

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