Freida Parton has broken her silence following the death of her sister, country music legend Dolly Parton.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7oPfZNodws
Freida, 69, took to Facebook on Saturday to share a deeply personal tribute to the star, who died last Tuesday at age 80 after what was described as a brief battle with unspecified cancer. In her lengthy post, Freida revealed the private woman behind the global icon, writing, “I know to the entire world, she was a superstar, but to me, she was my Dolly Momma.”
The younger sister detailed how Dolly had stepped into a parental role during her teenage years. “She was the woman who stepped up and became my Momma, raising me from ages 13 to 18,” Freida wrote. She also recalled childhood memories of shared fear, noting, “She was the sister who would climb into bed with me when I was little because we were both afraid of the dark.”
Freida did not shy away from the complexities of their bond. “Like all sisters,” she shared on Facebook, “we had our share of arguments and disagreements throughout the years.” She quickly added, “But even through all the highs and lows, and all the laughter and tears, I never stopped loving her.”
The tribute also carried a lighter memory of sibling teasing. Freida wrote that Dolly “was the one who tried to convince me to wear her wigs at my shows in Dollywood,” then punctuated the anecdote with a characteristic jab: “sorry, sister, but I definitely didn’t listen to you on that one.”
Freida turned to Dolly’s fans for support as the family grieves. “Please pray for me and my entire family as we navigate this insurmountable loss,” she wrote. She continued, “There will never be anyone who can replace her in our hearts, and I know she holds a special place in many of yours as well.”
The private funeral for Dolly was held Friday in Nashville, reports said. She was laid to rest beside her husband, Carl Dean, who died last March at age 82. Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew and head of security, oversaw the arrangements. A source described the ceremony as “very simple” because “that’s all Dolly wanted.” Seaver had announced his aunt’s passing in an Instagram video, revealing that the “9 to 5” singer requested to be buried “in a beautiful bed of plush cotton.”
Looking ahead, Freida hinted at a project to preserve her sister’s legacy. “I’m working on something very special for all of you” in Dolly’s honor, she wrote on Facebook, calling it her “way of keeping a little piece of my Dolly Momma with me, while sharing her with all of you who loved her, too.”
Freida closed her post with a promise rooted in her sister’s spirit. “I know she would want me to keep going, keep smiling, and keep sharing the love she gave so freely with others,” she wrote. “That is what I’m going to try to do, even on the days when it feels impossible.” She signed off with gratitude to Dolly’s worldwide fanbase: “Thank you for loving her, for praying for her, and now, for loving and praying for all of us.”