The iconic singer leaves behind funeral plans, an unreleased song locked until 2046, and an upcoming Broadway musical.
Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Before her passing, the singer requested a small, private funeral service for immediate family members, with her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, sharing that she wished to be laid to rest in a “beautiful bed of plush cotton.” Parton previously revealed in a 2014 interview that she wanted the country-gospel hymn “If We Never Meet Again” sung at her funeral. The song was a favorite of her father, Lee Parton, and was also performed at his funeral in 2000.
Parton also left fans a musical time capsule: an unreleased song titled “My Place in History,” which she recorded in 2015. The recording is stored on a CD alongside a CD player inside a locked chestnut box at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with instructions to remain sealed until Jan. 19, 2046—what would have been her 100th birthday. Meanwhile, another project will proceed much sooner: the Broadway show based on her life, Dolly: A True Original Musical, will begin previews Dec. 7 at the St. James Theatre in New York City before officially opening on Jan. 19, 2027.
