Stella Parton says her sister Dolly Parton was prepared and at peace when she died: “Knew where she was goin'”

September 10, 2026 / 10:32 AM EDT / CBS News

Stella Parton says her sister Dolly Parton was "definitely prepared" and at peace when she died late last month after battling cancer.

"I know she was at peace," Stella Parton told "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King in an exclusive interview.

"I could always tell by looking at her face, even if I hadn't seen her in months. On camera, I could tell if she was hurt, angry, happy or sad, or felt bad. I could see it on her," Stella Parton said.

Fans are still mourning the death of Dolly – a country music superstar, businesswoman, philanthropist and visionary.

But to Stella Parton, the larger-than-life legend was simply a big sister who she spoke to on the phone every Tuesday morning over coffee.

"She knew where she was goin'," Stella Parton said about how her sister felt before she died. "She wasn't goin' anywhere bad. She was going to be with Mama and Daddy."

Stella Parton sat down with King at RCA Studio A, a music recording studio in Nashville where Dolly Parton recorded some of her most memorable songs. She recalled being just 7 years old when her sister…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/