Video: Nephew announces death of country icon Dolly Parton
Bryan Seaver paid tribute to his aunt in an emotional announcement, recalling her impact on generations of singers, songwriters and dreamers.
Legendary singer Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, with her nephew Bryan Seaver announcing her passing in a video posted on her Instagram account. Seaver, the son of Dolly’s younger sister Cassie, said he was representing the Parton and Owens families in announcing the death of his aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean.
Seaver said the video was something Parton had asked him to make years ago. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role previously held by his father Larry, Seaver said he had imagined the difficulty of making the announcement but had not truly felt its weight until now.
He described the moment as an honour mixed with pride and sadness, adding that the sadness belonged to those left behind and not to Parton. According to Seaver, Parton was ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and had been reunited with her late husband Carl, her parents and others who had gone before her.
Watch the video:
Seaver recalled first travelling with Parton as a child in the early 1980s, saying she opened doors for his family and for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers around the world.
“She never saw a door she couldn’t open,” he said, adding that the doors she opened ‘made and changed history’.
Final wishes
Seaver said his family had shared a lifetime of memories with Parton, while fans had also grown up with her through TV, music and playlists on their phones. He added that the family and the team entrusted with her legacy would work to ensure her spirit lived on.
Reflecting on Parton’s roots, Seaver described her as a farmer like her father.
“He farmed the soil; she farmed songs and happiness,” he said.
Seaver shared Parton’s wishes for her final resting place, saying she wanted to rest in a bed of plush cotton after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones. He ended the announcement by saying: “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly. Aunt Granny. Gigi.”
The video concluded with the words: “I will always love you,” signed Dolly.
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