Dolly Parton’s family has confirmed that her funeral will be a small, private ceremony attended only by close family members.
But one deeply personal detail about her final farewell had already been revealed years ago: the song Dolly Parton wanted to hear at her funeral.
The country music legend spoke about her wishes more than a decade before her death.
The world was shaken Tuesday by news that Dolly Parton had died at the age of 80. President Donald Trump has also ordered U.S. flags to be lowered in honor of the legendary country music star.
Although her voice has now fallen silent, Parton’s extraordinary musical legacy will live on through the many songs she gave generations of fans.
Long before her passing, Parton had already thought about the day her family and friends would gather to say goodbye. Despite having written and performed some of the most famous songs in country music, the song she wanted played at her funeral was not one of her own.
Instead, her choice was a classic country-gospel hymn with a deeply personal connection to her family.
Parton discussed her funeral wishes during a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly.
She acknowledged that many people would probably expect to hear “I Will Always Love You” at her funeral, especially because of the emotional role the song played following Whitney Houston’s death.
Parton recalled becoming emotional when Houston’s casket was carried out while the song played, saying that was the moment she truly realized Houston was gone.
But Parton also revealed that there was another song she personally wanted to be part of her own farewell.
That song was “If We Never Meet Again.”
She described it as an old country-gospel church song about the hope of meeting loved ones again in heaven.
The hymn was written by Southern Gospel songwriter Albert E. Brumley, and its message of reunion after death clearly resonated with Parton.
There was also a very personal reason she chose it.
The same song had been performed at the funeral of her father, Robert Parton Sr., in 2000.
“That was my daddy’s favorite,” Parton explained. “We did sing it at his funeral, and I would like it to be sung at mine.”
Now that Parton has died, those words take on an especially emotional meaning.
A Lifetime Dedicated to Giving Back
Dolly Parton will forever be remembered for iconic songs such as “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” but her impact reached far beyond her music career.
In a 2025 People cover story, Parton reflected on her childhood in rural Tennessee and the humble circumstances that shaped her.
She grew up in a small two-room log cabin in the Smoky Mountains alongside her 11 siblings and her parents, Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton. The family lived without electricity or running water.
Even as a child, however, Parton dreamed of becoming a performer.
She recalled standing on the porch of her childhood home on Locust Ridge with a homemade microphone made from a tobacco stick, pretending she was already performing for a large audience.
The future superstar said she “felt like a star” during those childhood performances.
She dreamed of one day appearing at the Grand Ole Opry and singing in front of crowds, never imagining how far those early dreams would eventually take her.
Parton ultimately became one of the most successful entertainers in the world, but she also devoted much of her life to helping others.
In 1988, she founded the Dollywood Foundation in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. The organization initially focused on education and efforts to reduce high school dropout rates, including its Buddy Program.
In 1995, she launched the Imagination Library, inspired partly by her father, who had never learned to read. What began as a local effort to put books into the hands of children eventually became a global literacy program.
By 2025, the Imagination Library had distributed more than 304 million books.
Her charitable work extended into wildlife conservation as well. Through Dollywood, she partnered with the American Eagle Foundation to establish Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, helping educate visitors about bald eagles and other birds of prey.
When devastating wildfires struck parts of Tennessee in 2016, Parton created the My People Fund, providing financial assistance to families who had lost their homes. The program ultimately delivered millions of dollars in aid.
She also made significant contributions to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, including a $1 million donation to its children’s hospital in honor of her niece, who had been treated there for leukemia. She later gave another $1 million toward pediatric infectious disease research.
Her earlier $1 million contribution to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt also supported research connected to the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Parton continued supporting communities affected by disasters, including victims of Tennessee flooding and those impacted by Hurricane Helene. She also donated $1 million to the Salvation Army and supported numerous other charitable causes throughout her life.
In many ways, the funeral song Parton chose years ago feels like a fitting final note.
She spent her life singing about love, faith, family and hope. And when she imagined her own goodbye, she chose a song that had already been part of one of the most emotional moments in her family’s history.
“If We Never Meet Again” was more than a funeral song to Dolly Parton. It was a connection to her father, her faith and the hope of seeing loved ones again.