COUNTRY MUSIC STAR Dolly Parton has been laid to rest following a private family funeral.

The Jolene singer was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Tennessee, reportedly alongside her late husband Carl Dean, after her death aged 80 was announced last week following a “brief battle with cancer”.

Dolly’s estate has also announced that a festival will be held in the star’s honour in Nashville and London next year.

The festival – which will be called DollyFest: The Celebration of a Lifetime – will honour the life and music of the star and is due to take place across consecutive weekends in 2027, although the exact dates have not yet been released.

In a statement today, Danny Nozell, Founder of CTK Enterprises, said Dollyfest was originally planned as a multi-artist event that Dolly would perform at in January of this year.

“What Dolly started, we will ensure is brought to life,” he said.

“Many people behind the scenes know that Dollyfest is a dream of Dolly’s that was intended to take place on her 80th birthday in Nashville. We had the venue booked and we had the announcement ready to go. And then, in August 2025, Dolly had to take a step back after her initial health challenges.”

Nozell said Dollyfest will be “the party of a lifetime” that the late icon wanted to share with the world.

“As far as a traditional memorial goes, that is not something Dolly wanted. So, instead, it feels more appropriate for us to take a beat, let all the tributes that immediately make sense occur naturally, and then, see through this festival-style concept that was truly dreamed up by Dolly,” he added.

Dolly Parton at a 2010 concert in Nashville,Tennessee, USA. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Meanwhile, Parton’s great-niece, Lainey Parton, said in a post about the funeral on Instagram: “This is a really hard post for me to make. I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words.

“From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough. 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.

“Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family. I honestly can’t think of one with her.

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

Images posted of her final resting place by US NewsChannel 5 Nashville reporter Amelia Young showed a brown memorial with a picture of a wooden home in the mountains surrounded by flowers, along with a book to leave messages of condolence.

Lainey went on to speak about appearing on Parton’s album Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith And Fables, saying it is a memory she would “always hold on to”.

She added: “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.

“As I got older, she continued to believe in me. When I told her I wanted to go to beauty school, she never questioned why I wasn’t going to college. She told me she couldn’t see me doing anything else. She financially supported me through school and helped me get my career started.

“She didn’t just tell me to chase my dreams, she helped me get there.

“I’m so thankful I said yes to the opportunities and memories I got to share with her as my Aunt Dolly, including being in a movie with her. I’m so glad I have those moments to look back on now. I have things I can watch, hear, and hold onto when I miss her.”

Lainey added that it “still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone”, and said she would “miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there”, adding: “I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again.”

She went on to thank fans for showing their support by sending messages and flowers.

It comes after an airport in Nashville in Tennessee proposed changing its name in honour of the singer.

Born in Tennessee, Parton is best known for hits such as Jolene, 9 To 5 and I Will Always Love You. She was deeply associated with Nashville throughout her career and was inducted into its Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1986.

Following her death last week, a number of Parton’s records re-entered the UK charts, including Jolene, which featured at number nine in the singles chart on Friday.

With additional reporting from PA.