Dolly Parton’s Final Request to Her Family Revealed

Cathal McNaughton / Reuters Music legend Dolly Parton’s final request to her family has been revealed in a statement from her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver.

Seaver announced Parton’s passing in a video he said the star and philanthropist requested “years ago.” He said the request came before he “fully absorbed it as a future reality.” “I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now,” said Seaver, dressed in a suit and speaking against a plain black background.

The video was posted on her official Instagram account , which has 9.6 million followers.

“It is an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness.

But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” he said.

“Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl , her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.” He continued to speak of the country star’s stunning legacy and what she leaves behind, saying, “Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life, and across every continent.

By her example, we believed that anything was possible.

She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.” Seaver added that Parton asked for one other request: “Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton, because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.” Her nephew said that she “will always love” her fans.

The country music singer died Tuesday at age 80 .

Parton will be honored by a small, private service for “immediate family,” her website states , “at Dolly’s request.” Friends, politicians , celebrities , and fans worldwide are now mourning the “Jolene” singer and 9 to 5 star, whose groundbreaking career was accompanied by a staunch commitment to philanthropy.

“I really do ask God every single day to let me do something, say something, be something that matters to somebody else.

To make somebody feel good.

To let people see a spark of love,” Parton told Vogue in 2016.

Her representative confirmed that Parton died following a “brief battle with cancer ,” but provided no further details on what kind of cancer she faced.