Dolly Parton’s Cousin Shares Rare Details Of Her Burial Ceremony

Dolly Parton was laid to rest on August 28, following her passing on the 25th. Now, several days later, the cousin of the late country music icon is opening up about her burial ceremony, revealing that it wasn’t a funeral in the traditional sense, and discussing the private health battle that led to her death at 80.

Parton’s first cousin, Richie Owens, appeared on “Today” on September 3 to discuss the icon’s legacy and share details about her burial. First, he pushed back against those who have called the occasion a funeral.

According to Owens, “The word keeps getting brought up, ‘funeral,’ and I don’t believe that was really the case in this situation. It was a burial, to be buried beside her husband. And she wanted it very small, and a few family members were there.”

He then said, “Other people that I’m sure would’ve liked to have been there were either out doing other things and stuff. It was very quiet, very quickly done, and not for any bad reasons whatsoever; it’s just that’s what she wanted. She wanted to keep it very, very private.”

From there, Owens also stated that Parton would have preferred resources that would have been used for a traditional funeral be put toward some other worthy cause.

He explained, “That’s exactly what she said … when that happens to her, when she passes, she would much rather see people take that $50 you should spend on flowers and give it to her Imagination Library.”

Dolly’s Cousin Also Shed Light On Her Private Health Struggles

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Owens, who also serves as the Parton family historian, discussed her health leading up to her death in the “Today” interview. Notably, the news came after her death that the county music legend had endured a private battle with cancer.

He stated, “She, of course, posted herself that she had been going through health problems, but no one really knew what a lot of that was, including myself.”

From there, Owens shared why Parton wasn’t completely forthcoming about her health. According to him, “She always kept things private because she always wanted to keep everybody being positive around her and put that out there in the world. Just, ‘Don’t worry about me, I’m going to be fine.’ Just show the love.”

The Singer Gave A Health Update Before Her Passing

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Parton spoke to PEOPLE in late August 2026 about her upcoming SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, which is set to open in September. However, during the conversation, she was also asked about her health, which had led her to cancel a number of appearances in the months before she passed.

The late singer and actress said, “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.” Notably, her husband, Carl Dean, passed away in March 2025.

She continued, “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health. But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago.”

Parton went on, “I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”

More Details Have Emerged About Dolly Parton’s Health

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Following Parton’s passing, her representatives confirmed that the singer had been suffering from cancer. However, they did not disclose the type of cancer or the stage. They said in a statement, per the LA Times, “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”

Additonally, the world learned that the “Jolene” singer had been impacted by kidney and autoimmune issues before her death.

Dolly’s Niece Also Opened Up About Her Death

In additon to Owens speaking out about Parton following her passing, her niece, Jada Star, is also opening up. Regarding the singer now providing full details of her health, she echoed Owens’s sentiments.

She stated to ExtraTV, “She never wanted to worry anybody. So I think it was just a shock.” From there, she called dealing with the death of Parton “really difficult.”

However, Star continued, “All of these tributes have helped so much to help us all through it. I can’t remember a life without her. She would also tell us to start drying it up and start trying to get back to work and love each other real hard. She was just a trip.”