Dolly Parton's Nieces Share Cherished Final Memories Of 'Aunt Granny' Before Her Death In Sevierville

Dolly Parton's nieces are sharing intimate memories of the late country music icon, offering fans a rare glimpse into the private, everyday moments they shared with the woman they knew simply as "Aunt Granny."

Heidi Parton and Danielle Parton, the daughters of Dolly Parton's younger brothers, Randy and Robert Jr., respectively, appeared on TODAY on Sept. 3 to reflect on their late aunt, recalling both her trademark humor and the down-to-earth guidance she offered them throughout their lives. The two spoke from the family's hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, as they recounted the last times they spent together with Parton in person.

Heidi Parton, a country musician in her own right, recalled receiving career advice from her aunt after releasing her most recent album, "Reflections," in 2025.

"I sat down and had a very sweet, in-depth conversation about how to proceed with my career," Heidi Parton said. "We talked for about an hour and she was like, 'Baby, I'm just going to tell you this. You've got the talent. If you want it, go get it.' I'm like, 'Yes ma'am.'"

Heidi Parton described the conversation as one she now holds especially close, given how rare that kind of one-on-one time with her famous aunt had become in recent years.

"We had a really good conversation," she continued. "She was just so sweet and so supportive, and it was just really precious because I hadn't gotten to do that in so long. I really just hold that very close to me now."

Danielle Parton, 50, who shares a January birthday with her aunt, recalled having lunch together in February to celebrate their birthdays. That lunch came shortly after the death of legendary actor Robert Duvall at age 95, prompting Danielle to ask her aunt whether she had known him personally.

"We were discussing about who passed and I said, 'Have you met him?' And she's like 'Oh yeah, he's precious,'" Danielle Parton recalled. The conversation soon turned to a broader reflection on fame itself, as Danielle asked her aunt how she viewed her own extraordinary level of celebrity.

"We were talking about different stars and how interesting it is that she's got to meet all these other people, and I said, 'Do you ever think of yourself as famous? How do you see yourself?'" Danielle Parton recounted. "She goes, 'Oh, no.' She goes, 'I'm still the same kid I was growing up poor,'" Danielle added, noting that her aunt genuinely lived by that self-perception.

Beyond deeper conversations about career and identity, the nieces recalled simpler, more ordinary moments they shared with their aunt, including a shared love of casual food.

"She liked regular food. Oh, she was a fast food junkie," Danielle Parton said. "We were always talking about our food and stuff. We were just regular girls, and we were talking about regular stuff, and just life."

Danielle Parton, who works as a pilot and owns the moonshine distillery Shine Girl, said her aunt also offered her business guidance rooted in the same straightforward wisdom she gave Heidi about her music career.

"She was good about, 'Trust your gut. You know what's right for you and don't let anybody sway you from it,'" Danielle Parton said.

Danielle Parton was among a small group of family members who attended a private ceremony laying Dolly Parton to rest in Nashville alongside her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, who died in 2025 at age 82.

"It was very, very private," Danielle Parton said of the ceremony. "I don't even know if I was supposed to be there, I just happened to be in town when all this took place."

According to Danielle Parton, roughly 10 people attended the intimate service. Dolly Parton's first cousin, Richie Owens, separately confirmed on TODAY the same day that he had also been among those present.

Reflecting on the atmosphere of the ceremony itself, Danielle Parton described a sense of calm that helped her process the loss.

"Not even close to anywhere near all of us. She was beautiful and peaceful and to me, I don't know if I want to say healing, but she was beautiful and she was at peace, and so that helped me be at peace with it," Danielle Parton said.

Danielle Parton went on to reflect more broadly on her aunt's relentless work ethic throughout her decades-long career as a singer, songwriter, philanthropist and businesswoman, suggesting that Dolly Parton's death may have finally brought her a form of rest she rarely experienced during her life.

"If there's anybody that deserved a little peace in their life, it's her because she never had a moment's peace, ever," Danielle Parton said.

Danielle Parton also spoke to the extraordinary scale of public affection her aunt inspired throughout her career, describing the sheer volume of people who wanted even a brief moment with her.

"If you ever thought, 'Well I just want to meet her,' well, times that by like 10 million and that's how many people always just wanted to meet her, just wanted to say hi," Danielle Parton said. "And then she had all of us driving her crazy all the time."

The TODAY appearance by Heidi and Danielle Parton adds to a series of tributes and personal remembrances shared by members of Dolly Parton's extended family and close friends in the weeks following her death, offering fans a window into the more private, familial side of a public figure widely regarded as one of the most beloved entertainers in American music history. Both nieces have continued pursuing careers connected to their aunt's broader legacy, with Heidi Parton building her own path in country music and Danielle Parton running her own business, both fields in which they credited their aunt's guidance as a lasting influence.

The sisters' recollections, spanning career advice, shared meals and quiet conversations about fame and identity, painted a portrait of a woman who, despite her global stardom, remained deeply connected to her family and her rural East Tennessee roots throughout her life, a theme that has recurred consistently across tributes shared by those who knew Parton personally in the aftermath of her death.