From giving career pep talks to gabbing about her favorite fast food, Dolly Parton was just one of the “regular girls” when spending time with her nieces.
Heidi Parton and Danielle Parton, daughters of Dolly Parton’s younger brothers Randy and Robert Jr., respectively, shared some sweet memories of their late aunt on TODAY Sept. 3, while also showing some of the country singer’s trademark humor.
The two spoke from the family’s hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, as they remembered the last time they spent together with their aunt in person.
Heidi Parton recalled getting advice from her aunt after releasing her latest country album “Reflections” in 2025.
“I sat down and had a very sweet, in-depth conversation about how to proceed with my career,” she 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.’
“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, shares a January birthday with her aunt, and she recalled them having lunch together in February to celebrate. Legendary actor Robert Duvall had recently died at 95 at the time, and Danielle asked Dolly if she knew him.
“We were discussing about who passed and I said, ‘Have you met him?’ And she’s like ‘Oh yeah, he’s precious,’” Danielle Parton, said. “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?’
“She goes, ‘Oh, no.’ She goes, ‘I’m still the same kid I was growing up poor,’” she added. And she really did.”
She also remembered the two talking about one of their favorite subjects.
“She liked regular food. Oh, she was a fast food junkie,” Danielle 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.”
Aunt Dolly also gave Danielle, a pilot and owner of the moonshine distillery Shine Girl, business advice as well.
“She was good about, ‘Trust your gut. You know what’s right for you and don’t let anybody sway you from it,’” she said.
Danielle Parton was one of a handful of family members who attended a small ceremony laying the country music icon to rest in Nashville alongside her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, who died at 82 in 2025.
“It was very, very private,” Danielle Parton said. “I don’t even know if I was supposed to be there, I just happened to be in town when all this took place.”
