RICHIE OWENS REFLECTS ON LIFE AND LEGACY OF COUSIN DOLLY PARTON
Richie Owens, Dolly Parton's first cousin and longtime musical collaborator, appeared on NBC's "Today" show on September 3, 2026, to share personal reflections on the country icon's life, her final days, and the quiet ceremony that laid her to rest.
Parton died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 from what a family spokesperson described as "a brief battle with cancer." Owens, who co-wrote songs with Parton in the mid-1960s and produced her albums Hungry Again (1998) and Precious Memories (1999), also serves as the family's historian, having spent years cataloging the Owens-Parton family's musical heritage.
TODAY.com
Rolling Stone
Speaking about Parton's private battle with illness, Owens explained that she kept her health struggles private from even some family members, choosing instead to keep everyone optimistic. He said she always wanted to project positivity to those around her, telling people not to worry and to simply show love instead.
TODAY.com
Rolling Stone
Owens also addressed public confusion over the nature of Parton's final farewell. Parton was laid to rest alongside her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, who died in 2025 at age 82, with her family confirming she was buried in Nashville on Aug. 28. Owens pushed back on characterizations of the event as a traditional funeral, describing it instead as a small, private burial attended by only a handful of family members, consistent with Parton's own wishes for something modest and low-key.
TODAY.com
Reflecting on decades spent working alongside his cousin — both in the studio and on tour, including stints backing her during her 2005 Vintage Tour and subsequent European and North American concert dates — Owens described Parton's off-stage character as identical to the warmth fans saw in public. He emphasized that there was no difference between the Dolly the world watched and the Dolly he knew personally.
Owens' comments add a family perspective to the outpouring of tributes that has followed Parton's death, offering fans insight into both the private woman behind the public icon and the humble farewell she requested for herself.