By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – America was mourning Wednesday after U.S. President Donald J. Trump ordered flags lowered across the nation following the death of Dolly Parton, the Christian country music legend, songwriter and entertainer who died Tuesday at age 80.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver, speaking on behalf of the Parton and Owens families, said their grief was tempered by their Christian belief that Parton had entered heaven.
“Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” adding that she was “surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
Parton, whose influence extended far beyond music through philanthropy that included providing hundreds of millions of free books to children, had lost her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, in March 2025. He was 82.
Seaver, who served as her head of security for more than two decades, said Parton had asked him years earlier to make the announcement when the time came.
DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTIAN FAITH
Behind Parton’s trademark blond hair, rhinestone costumes and glamorous image was a woman whose Christian faith, rooted in childhood, remained central throughout her extraordinary career.
“A belief in God is essential,” she once said. “You have to believe in something bigger than yourself. We grew up believing that through God all things are possible.”
That belief was formed in the mountains of East Tennessee, where Parton was born on January 19, 1946, the fourth of 12 children.
Her parents had little money, but music and faith were central to family life. Her maternal grandfather, Jake Robert Owens, was a preacher at the House of Prayer, the small mountain church where Parton worshipped, and she began singing hymns and playing guitar in church as a child.
By age 13, she had appeared at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the famed country music stage and radio show, where country music legend Johnny Cash introduced her as “a little girl here from up in East Tennessee.”
FROM CHURCH TO COUNTRY MUSIC
Her Christian faith remained important as she rose from poverty to become one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers.
“My faith has always been so important to me,” Parton told Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). “I grew up in a very religious family; my grandpa was a preacher.”
“I pray every day. I pray about everything,” she added. “I ask God to lead me and guide me in all the decisions I make—and to bring all the good and right people into my life and to let me do something to glorify God and uplift mankind.”
While millions around the world knew Parton mainly for non-Christian hits such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” she also made a point of recording gospel and explicitly Christian music throughout her long career.
Her 1971 Golden Streets of Glory was her first gospel album, drawing heavily on the church music of her childhood.
DOLLY PARTON’S GOSPEL MUSIC
Parton later recorded other faith-centered projects and songs and collaborated with Christian artist Zach Williams on “There Was Jesus.”
The collaboration won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
“Thank you Jesus, thank you Zach Williams, and thank you to the Grammys and all of our fans,” Parton said following the award.
Williams was among numerous Christian and country artists mourning her death.
“Dolly, your songs, your faith, and the way you loved people impacted me more than you probably ever will know,” he wrote. “You showed all of us that success didn’t have to change your heart, and that we could use what God gave us to make life a little better for somebody else.”
ARTISTS MOURN DOLLY PARTON
He thanked Parton for “the road you paved, the music you gave us, and the example you set for artists like me.”
Country music icon Reba McEntire also remembered her friend and fellow entertainer, saying Parton had “passed onto the higher and greater side.”
“Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth,” McEntire wrote. “Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
“Thank you, Lord, for Dolly,” she added. “She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her.”
The Jackson family similarly remembered Parton as “a true trailblazer” whose “extraordinary talent, kindness and generosity” opened doors and inspired generations.
‘LOVING ARMS OF THE LORD’
“Thank you, Dolly, for the music, the joy and the light you shared with us all,” the family wrote. “May you rest peacefully in the loving arms of the Lord, reunited with your husband Carl and the many loved ones who made their journey to Heaven before you.”
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum also reflected on Parton’s influence.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity,” said Kyle Young, chief executive officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Young described her as “a champion of equality and literacy” who shared her success with others.
“She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee,” he said. “She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang.”
‘LEGACY IS HUMANITY’
British Christian singer-songwriter Philippa Hanna described Parton as “a light, a leader and a musical apostle.”
“My heart is so saddened that mother Dolly has been promoted to glory,” Hanna wrote. “She was a prolific creator, a philanthropist and someone who changed the game for female songwriters the world over.”
Hanna recalled meeting Parton and giving her a copy of her testimony book.
“I’m just so grateful I had the chance to meet her and to place my testimony book in her hands,” Hanna wrote, recalling that Parton responded: “Well, I’ve been looking for something good to read on the bus.”
Trump described Parton as one of the greatest country singers in history.
TRUMP ORDERS FLAGS LOWERED
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
“Rest in Peace, Dolly!” the president added. “The World loves you.”
Trump ordered the American flag flown at half-staff at the White House, federal buildings, military installations, naval vessels and U.S. diplomatic facilities worldwide through sunset September 1.
Tributes crossed America’s increasingly bitter political divide, reflecting Parton’s unusual ability to remain widely admired by Republicans and Democrats.
Parton herself largely avoided partisan politics. She turned down offers of the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Trump’s first administration and later declined an approach from the Biden administration, explaining that she did not want her acceptance to be interpreted politically.
DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY
Her appeal and influence extended well beyond music.
Parton founded her Imagination Library in 1995, inspired partly by her father’s inability to read and write. Beginning in her home county in Tennessee, the program expanded internationally, providing free books to children from birth to age 5.
By June 2026, the Imagination Library said it had distributed more than 325 million books to children and was sending more than 3.5 million books each month.
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the program had created “brighter futures for thousands of children across our commonwealth” and would leave a legacy continuing “for generations to come.”
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine similarly said Parton’s legacy would “live on in the classrooms and communities she uplifted and the beautiful music she created.”
DOLLY PARTON’S LASTING LEGACY
Seaver said Parton’s family and the team entrusted with her legacy would work to ensure her influence continues.
“Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy,” he said. “He farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness.”
He recalled that Parton had even given instructions about how she wanted to rest after death.
“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.”
A small, private funeral service is expected to be held for immediate family members at Parton’s request. “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi,” Seaver concluded. “May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all.”
“She will always love you.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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America Mourns Christian Country Legend Dolly Parton, ‘In Arms Of Jesus’ (Worthy News Focus)
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – America was mourning Wednesday after U.S. President Donald J. Trump ordered flags lowered across the nation following the death of Dolly Parton, the Christian country music legend, songwriter and entertainer who died Tuesday at age 80.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver, speaking on behalf of the Parton and Owens families, said their grief was tempered by their Christian belief that Parton had entered heaven.
“Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” Seaver said. “Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” adding that she was “surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
Parton, whose influence extended far beyond music through philanthropy that included providing hundreds of millions of free books to children, had lost her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, in March 2025. He was 82.
Seaver, who served as her head of security for more than two decades, said Parton had asked him years earlier to make the announcement when the time came.
DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTIAN FAITH
Behind Parton’s trademark blond hair, rhinestone costumes and glamorous image was a woman whose Christian faith, rooted in childhood, remained central throughout her extraordinary career.
“A belief in God is essential,” she once said. “You have to believe in something bigger than yourself. We grew up believing that through God all things are possible.”
That belief was formed in the mountains of East Tennessee, where Parton was born on January 19, 1946, the fourth of 12 children.
Her parents had little money, but music and faith were central to family life. Her maternal grandfather, Jake Robert Owens, was a preacher at the House of Prayer, the small mountain church where Parton worshipped, and she began singing hymns and playing guitar in church as a child.
By age 13, she had appeared at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the famed country music stage and radio show, where country music legend Johnny Cash introduced her as “a little girl here from up in East Tennessee.”
FROM CHURCH TO COUNTRY MUSIC
Her Christian faith remained important as she rose from poverty to become one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers.
“My faith has always been so important to me,” Parton told Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). “I grew up in a very religious family; my grandpa was a preacher.”
“I pray every day. I pray about everything,” she added. “I ask God to lead me and guide me in all the decisions I make—and to bring all the good and right people into my life and to let me do something to glorify God and uplift mankind.”
While millions around the world knew Parton mainly for non-Christian hits such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” she also made a point of recording gospel and explicitly Christian music throughout her long career.
Her 1971 Golden Streets of Glory was her first gospel album, drawing heavily on the church music of her childhood.
DOLLY PARTON’S GOSPEL MUSIC
Parton later recorded other faith-centered projects and songs and collaborated with Christian artist Zach Williams on “There Was Jesus.”
The collaboration won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
“Thank you Jesus, thank you Zach Williams, and thank you to the Grammys and all of our fans,” Parton said following the award.
Williams was among numerous Christian and country artists mourning her death.
“Dolly, your songs, your faith, and the way you loved people impacted me more than you probably ever will know,” he wrote. “You showed all of us that success didn’t have to change your heart, and that we could use what God gave us to make life a little better for somebody else.”
ARTISTS MOURN DOLLY PARTON
He thanked Parton for “the road you paved, the music you gave us, and the example you set for artists like me.”
Country music icon Reba McEntire also remembered her friend and fellow entertainer, saying Parton had “passed onto the higher and greater side.”
“Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth,” McEntire wrote. “Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
“Thank you, Lord, for Dolly,” she added. “She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her.”
The Jackson family similarly remembered Parton as “a true trailblazer” whose “extraordinary talent, kindness and generosity” opened doors and inspired generations.
‘LOVING ARMS OF THE LORD’
“Thank you, Dolly, for the music, the joy and the light you shared with us all,” the family wrote. “May you rest peacefully in the loving arms of the Lord, reunited with your husband Carl and the many loved ones who made their journey to Heaven before you.”
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum also reflected on Parton’s influence.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity,” said Kyle Young, chief executive officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Young described her as “a champion of equality and literacy” who shared her success with others.
“She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee,” he said. “She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang.”
‘LEGACY IS HUMANITY’
British Christian singer-songwriter Philippa Hanna described Parton as “a light, a leader and a musical apostle.”
“My heart is so saddened that mother Dolly has been promoted to glory,” Hanna wrote. “She was a prolific creator, a philanthropist and someone who changed the game for female songwriters the world over.”
Hanna recalled meeting Parton and giving her a copy of her testimony book.
“I’m just so grateful I had the chance to meet her and to place my testimony book in her hands,” Hanna wrote, recalling that Parton responded: “Well, I’ve been looking for something good to read on the bus.”
Trump described Parton as one of the greatest country singers in history.
TRUMP ORDERS FLAGS LOWERED
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”
“Rest in Peace, Dolly!” the president added. “The World loves you.”
Trump ordered the American flag flown at half-staff at the White House, federal buildings, military installations, naval vessels and U.S. diplomatic facilities worldwide through sunset September 1.
Tributes crossed America’s increasingly bitter political divide, reflecting Parton’s unusual ability to remain widely admired by Republicans and Democrats.
Parton herself largely avoided partisan politics. She turned down offers of the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Trump’s first administration and later declined an approach from the Biden administration, explaining that she did not want her acceptance to be interpreted politically.
DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY
Her appeal and influence extended well beyond music.
Parton founded her Imagination Library in 1995, inspired partly by her father’s inability to read and write. Beginning in her home county in Tennessee, the program expanded internationally, providing free books to children from birth to age 5.
By June 2026, the Imagination Library said it had distributed more than 325 million books to children and was sending more than 3.5 million books each month.
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the program had created “brighter futures for thousands of children across our commonwealth” and would leave a legacy continuing “for generations to come.”
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine similarly said Parton’s legacy would “live on in the classrooms and communities she uplifted and the beautiful music she created.”
DOLLY PARTON’S LASTING LEGACY
Seaver said Parton’s family and the team entrusted with her legacy would work to ensure her influence continues.
“Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy,” he said. “He farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness.”
He recalled that Parton had even given instructions about how she wanted to rest after death.
“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.”
A small, private funeral service is expected to be held for immediate family members at Parton’s request. “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi,” Seaver concluded. “May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all.”
“She will always love you.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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