Nephew Bryan Seaver Announces Dolly Parton’s Death and Final Wish
Dolly Parton deeply emotional last request to her family was disclosed in the video unveiling the demise of the country music legend at 80. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, featured in a grief-stricken video on Tuesday afternoon, breaking the heartbreaking news to the public. She passed away this morning after the mother of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville was admitted on Friday due to autoimmune and kidney ailments, TMZ wrote.
Seaver, who was his aunt’s chief of security for over 20 years, explained that the video was the very thing Parton had asked him to make several years ago.
“Today, on behalf of the Parton and Owens families, I am here to inform you of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean’s demise,” announced Seaver. “Sister, sis, aunt, and granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” was his way of recalling her before revealing their last message.
“This video release is the indication of Dolly’s plan to me a few years back, when I still did not realize it was the future reality.” “As her head of security for more than two decades, a job my father, Larry, did before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but have not truly felt it until now.
Dolly Parton on Health, Love, and Losing Carl: Her Final Words to Fans
‘It is a great honor, but the truth is I feel a mixture of absolute pride and deep sadness. However, the sadness is with us, not with Dolly,’ he added.
Only four days before her passing, the ‘Jolene’ singer revealed to People that she was ‘handling some health issues that I simply ignored while I was caring for Carl.’ Her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, passed away in March 2025 at 82 years old, following a private battle with Alzheimer’s and also several other serious health conditions. After 59 years of togetherness, their love story ended when he was no more. She opened up to the magazine and said, “I mean, obviously this hasn’t been the first instance that I’ve dealt with a scenario like this. ” I went through a period in the early ’80s when I was really down with female stuff, and at the same time, I was having a hard time with my weight, so it’s not like I haven’t had hard times with my health.
‘But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets exaggerated in a way that it wasn’t ten years ago.
“In the past, I used to say that I was the queen of the tabloids, but now I suppose I can say that I am the queen of social media AI! However, seriously, even though I’m still healing, I am also working!
Dolly Parton’s publicity team confirmed her death after the announcement of her nephew.
Dolly Remembered for 7 Decades of Music, Philanthropy, and Heart
A life like her rhinestones, so bright the whole world could see, Dolly Parton will always be remembered as the source of the inspiration we all felt not only from her timeless songs and constant flow of music, but also from her humor and warmth and caring that made everyone a member of a very nice & very loving family.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience.”
“She gave generations of musicians and followers inspiration. Besides that, she kept trying hard to change the world through kindness. Her music will keep touching people of all age groups, and her good deeds will surely have a lasting result.”
Dolly, sometimes dubbed the Queen of Country, led a brilliant 70-year music journey. She was probably best known for her smash songs Jolene and 9 to 5. She had many, many other songs, of course, but those two were her biggest hits of all time.
Seaver remembered quite the heartwarming experience joining Dolly on tour when he was a kid back in the 80s. He said that she “opened doors not only for me but also for my complete family to achieve our potential, which we didn’t even know of.” He defined her as the farmer, just like his dad; he sowed the soil, and Dolly sowed the songs and the happiness. Dolly rang him and said she wants her ashes spread on the field of very soft cotton since, after a life of wearing shiny rhinestones, she is quite justified to have the comfort and rest finally. ‘
No Running Water to Rhinestones: Dolly Parton’s Early Life in Tennessee
Among 12 children, the fourth one was Parton, who was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, on January 19, 1946. Dolly together with Willadeene; David Wilburn; Coy Denver; Bobby Lee; Stella Mae; Cassie Nan, Randel Huston (Randy); Larry Gerald; the twins Estel Floyd and Freida Estelle; and Rachel Ann, was growing up on a farm where their straw beds were their beds, and they did not have running water, gas or electricity.
At a very tender age, Dolly Parton realized she had a talent for music, and so she used to make radio broadcasts and later did appearances on various TV shows around East Tennessee. She recorded and released as a singer for herself “Puppy Love” at age thirteen.
Last week after suffering from health challenges, she passed away.
Postponed Shows and Prayer Requests: Signs Dolly Was Unwell
Back in September 2025, fans’ concerns rose to health about Parton after she said she decided to delay her Las Vegas residency that was supposed to be 4th-13th December 2025 at Colosseum Theater, Caesars Palace, for ‘health issues. ‘They had expected the postponed concerts the following month.
Last year during the month of October, Parton’s youngest sibling, Freida Parton, got the public to pray for the singer by asking them to. Fearing that she had caused concern among followers, Freida later came back on Facebook and clarified that she had not meant ‘to scare anyone,’ and she mentioned that Parton had ‘a little illness.’
Sadly, she didn’t want to ‘create the impression that it was that serious’ by making a big show of it. And she did so out of the simple reason of ‘the power of prayer,’ in which she is firmly persuaded.
