Country music icon Dolly Parton has been laid to rest beside her husband, after an intimate funeral at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum.

The country music icon died aged 80 last Tuesday (US time) after a “brief battle with cancer”.

Three days later, her family gathered for an intimate funeral to bury her beside husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 aged 82.

Parton’s niece Lainey confirmed a service had been held for the Jolene hitmaker in a heartfelt tribute to the star.

“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,” she posted, along with sweet shots of the pair over the years.

“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.”

Lainey recalled a particularly special moment with Dolly.

“One memory I’ll always hold onto is when she asked me to sing with her on her @smokymountaindna album. I was a freshman in high school and SO nervous.

“But 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.”

The 9 to 5 legend supported her niece’s dreams, helping to launch her beauty career.

“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,” Lainey Parton said.

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

Lainey said it “still doesn’t feel real” that Dolly had died.

“I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4am calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again.”