Dolly Parton’s sister Stella has shared the reason the late country legend chose to keep her cancer diagnosis secret.
In her first interview since Dolly’s death, Stella told Gayle King that the true nature of Dolly’s health was only known to select people. “Some of us knew, the ones of us that were closer,” she told King.
Dolly’s death was announced on August 25, and her cause of death was revealed as a “brief battle with cancer” a few days later. Though Dolly previously told fans she was “dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to” while looking after late husband Carl Dean, the public had no idea of her cancer diagnosis.
According to Stella, the ‘9 to 5’ singer intentionally withheld details of her health from fans. “She did not want people sad,” she explained. “She’d be really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love because she knew that that would make us feel better as her family.
“Bottom line, end of the day, her family and Carl’s family and probably Judy’s family are the people that she would want to say, ‘See, everything I did, they cared. They really loved me.’”
Recently, Dolly’s relatives confirmed that the country star’s funeral had taken place in a private ceremony.
Dolly was interred at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park, where fellow country stars Porter Wagoner, George Jones and Tammy Wynette are also buried. Her husband of nearly 60 year, Carl Dean, was also laid to rest there last year.
Niece Lainey shared that the ceremony took place on Saturday 28, adding: “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.”
Dolly’s estate have also confirmed the inaugural edition of the “star-studded” DollyFest, which will last two days in Nashville and London.
The festival, which was supposed to go ahead this January if it weren’t for Dolly’s health struggles, will celebrate her legacy “instead of a traditional public memorial”.
“DOLLYFEST will be the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world,” her estate added.
Elsewhere, tributes for Dolly have poured in from across the world. Kacey Musgraves performed ‘Here You Come Again’ in Boston, while Maisie Peters covered the same song at Reading Festival.
Jack White played ‘Jolene’ at a London show, while Orville Peck delivered a rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’. Olivia Rodrigo also dedicated her duet with Sarah McLachlan at Daisy Chain Fields to the later singer.
The NME obituary for Parton concluded: “Resplendent in her rhinestone suit, she embodied both qualities as a unifying icon. The world has become more divided since that set, but everyone will always love Dolly.”