Stella Parton is remembering her older sister Dolly Parton as a woman who kept working, guarded her privacy and turned to prayer as her health declined.
“That’s the last thing Dolly asked me for was prayer,” Stella said during a conversation with Gayle King, co-host of CBS MORNINGS, released Sept. 10.
The interview took place at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, where Dolly recorded some of her best-known songs.
Dolly died Aug. 25 at age 80 after what her team described as a brief battle with cancer, according to CBS News. Her family has not disclosed the type of cancer, a decision Stella said respected Dolly’s wishes even though Dolly never specifically told the family to keep it secret.
Stella declined to disclose more, calling the diagnosis Dolly’s private business. She said Dolly did not tell relatives they could disclose it.
“I can talk about my love for her and describe who she is to me. But it’s not my business to tell her business.” Stella said.
Stella said Dolly wanted to protect people from worry, including relatives who did not know about her illness. “She did not want people sad,” Stella said, per Entertainment Tonight, adding that Dolly could not bear negativity and would not have wanted fans worried about her.
Related: Dolly Parton, Faith-Filled Country Icon and Movieguide® Award Winner, Dies at 80
The family’s decision also explains why an earlier public request for prayer caused concern among fans. Stella said some relatives knew what was happening, but she described Dolly’s private health information as Dolly’s own story to tell.
Stella’s comments carried a clear spiritual note when King asked whether Dolly had been at peace. “I know she was at peace,” Stella said, explaining that she could read her sister’s emotions even when they had not seen each other for months.
Stella said: “She knew where she was going. She wasn’t going anywhere bad. She was going to be with mom and daddy.”
“She was prepared. Yeah, she was definitely prepared.” Stella emphasized.
She also pushed back on the idea that Dolly died from a broken heart after her husband, Carl Dean, died in 2025. She said Dolly was deeply affected by Dean’s decline, but she did not believe grief caused her illness.
“My sister worked so hard for so long and just kept going,” Stella said. “You know, even to the last conversation I had with her, she was working. That was her passion.”
That work ethic will remain visible in projects Dolly helped shape before her death. Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum are scheduled to open together in Nashville on Sept. 29, according to an official announcement carried by PR Newswire.
The hotel will include 245 guest rooms and suites, while the museum will occupy the property’s third floor. PEOPLE reported that the museum will use interactive exhibits and footage recorded earlier this year to guide guests through Dolly’s life and music.
Her posthumous single, “Bound to Ride,” is also extending that legacy. Billboard reported that the recording will appear on a tribute album honoring the Stanley Brothers.
Still, when King asked what she missed most, Stella did not mention a building, a song or a sparkling costume. “Her optimism is what I’m going to miss the most because she was the most optimistic person I ever knew,” Stella said.
She wants people to remember Dolly as sweet, kind, loving, brilliant and so talented, according to the CBS MORNINGS interview. Stella added that Dolly gave young people who came from difficult circumstances “permission to dream,” a fitting final word from a sister who saw both the superstar and the child beneath the rhinestones.
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