‘I am a person of faith’: How Christianity shaped Dolly Parton’s music and spirit

(RNS) — Dolly Parton, the country music icon who sang and spoke frequently of her Christian faith, died at age 80 on Tuesday (Aug. 25), her family announced .

“Sadness lies with us, not with Dolly,” said Bryan Seaver, Parton’s nephew and head of security, in a video released by the family.

“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl (her husband), her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”

The winner of 11 Grammy Awards, Parton was one of those unusual performers with broad, enduring appeal, crossing religions, races and political parties, over seven decades, and she spoke of how faith grounded her and her family.

“We all believe in God, and we’re very close,” she told KCRA, a Sacramento station. “We have a good communication with God, and I think that’s a positive attitude. That’s one of the reasons that we stay sane, and a lot of people in the business seem to be crazy.”

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Born in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she was one of 12 children. Her grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher, and Parton…