Dolly Parton Requested Private Funeral at 80, Burial Beside Husband Carl Dean

Q: Why did Dolly Parton lock away her final song, and what is the real date her secret time capsule will be opened?

Dolly Parton locked away “My Place in History” as a deliberate legacy piece for the future, tied to the 2015 opening of Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and to what would have been her 100th birthday. In interviews and in her book *Songteller*, she said the idea came from her team and that she wrote it knowing no one would hear it for decades. She later joked that the decision “bothered” her because she thought it was “a really good song,” but the purpose was to leave behind one final message for a later generation. The conflicting dates in some reports come from two related milestones: DreamMore’s 30th anniversary in 2045 and Parton’s 100th birthday. The most specific and best-documented date is Jan. 19, 2046. A plaque on the chestnut “Dream Box,” along with Parton’s own published account and confirmations from outlets including ABC News and Billboard, says the box is to remain sealed until that date. So while 2045 is often cited because it marks the resort’s anniversary and the period leading into her centennial, the actual opening date for the secret time capsule is Jan. 19, 2046.

Q: With conflicting dates surrounding her time capsule, will the technology inside even work when her secret song is finally revealed?

Probably yes, if the capsule has been stored properly — but there is some real risk. The date confusion is mostly about timing, not the song’s existence. Multiple reports point to the track being sealed in 2015 at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, with instructions tying the opening either to the resort’s 30th anniversary in 2045 or to Parton’s 100th birthday on Jan. 19, 2046. Those dates are only months apart, so they do not materially change the preservation outlook. What matters more is the format. Reports say “My Place in History” was placed in the capsule on both cassette and CD, along with playback devices and instructions. That was a practical choice: even if those formats become obsolete, the equipment to play them is already inside. Still, Dolly Parton’s own worry was not unfounded. Magnetic tape can degrade over time, CD layers can fail, and electronics stored for decades may suffer from corroded components, degraded rubber belts, dead capacitors or battery leakage if batteries were left inside. A 30-year span is survivable for media, but only if heat, humidity and poor sealing have been avoided. Even if the included players fail, the recording could still likely be recovered. Audio preservation experts routinely transfer aging cassette tapes and CDs using replacement parts, specialist readers and digital restoration methods. Unless the media has been severely damaged, the odds are strong the song can still be extracted and heard when the box is opened.

3 articles · Updated · Katie Couric Media · Aug 27

Immediate family will hold a private funeral for Dolly Parton, honoring her wish for no public memorial after the singer died Aug. 25 at age 80.
Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville will be her burial site beside husband Carl Dean, her spouse of 58 years who died in 2025.
Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” and the hymn “If We Never Meet Again” were chosen for the service, the latter reflecting her late father’s favorite song.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the family’s requested memorial in lieu of flowers, extending the literacy program she launched in 1995 for children through age 5.
2045 is when fans are due to hear “My Place in History,” an unreleased Parton song sealed in a Dollywood time capsule until just before her would-be 100th birthday.