Dolly Parton’s Family Speaks Out After Her Death at 80

He added, "By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn't open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”

Now, her family ask everyone to embrace the special moments they had with her.

“My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you,” he noted. “She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever.”

Seaver explained that he shared the news of his aunt’s passing via video at her request, an ask she’d made years earlier.

“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven't truly felt it until now,” he added. “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness.”

He also shared insight into Parton’s vision for how she’d be laid to eternal rest. 

“Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton,” he said, “because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”

And for those fans mourning the Queen of Country, he closed on an important reminder: “She will always love you.”

For a look back at Parton’s decades in the spotlight, read on.