Dolly Parton's Cousin Richie Owens Recalls Her Off-Stage Warmth

Richie Owens on TODAY

Richie Owens, a cousin of Dolly Parton and a frequent collaborator with her, appeared on the TODAY show to reflect on her life and career following her death.

Owens produced several of Parton's albums and backed her in shows across her career, according to TODAY. The segment was published by the programme on Sept. 3, 2026.

"What you saw from Dolly is how she was in real life, magical, just very giving. She didn't turn it on and off," Owens said.

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A Family Collaborator

The TODAY segment describes Owens as both a relative and a working partner, someone who was in the studio and on stage with Parton rather than an observer at a distance.

Beyond his production credits and his role as a backing musician, the source does not detail which albums he produced or which tours he played on. Those specifics are not yet known from the material available.

Dollywood's Plans After Parton's Death

Separately, Dollywood President Eugene Naughton has set out what comes next for the theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which Parton founded and lent her name to.

Naughton announced the construction of five new resorts, a new guitar sculpture to be placed in the Dollywood fountain, and a public reflection area where visitors can digitally share what Parton meant to them. Contributions at the tribute kiosk in the park's Wildwood Grove area can be kept private at the contributor's request, he said.

WVLT reported that a half-a-billion dollar investment strategy is underway, focused on renovating existing resorts three, four, five and six, all approved before Parton's death.

Timelines and Open Questions

Naughton said Parton had planned far ahead for the park. "She gave us the gift of time to prepare for what was going to eventually happen here. We have plans until 2036 that she laid emphasis on us as a leadership team that I am confident in," he said.

Remaining work is "planned and underway," per Naughton, with much of it due to be ready in March 2027. He added that the city of Sevierville would begin installing in a couple of days, though WVLT's report does not specify what.

How long the memorial walls outside Dollywood will remain in place for public viewing has not been decided. "I don't know how long it will last. I think we'll know when to close the memorial walls, but we want to give people plenty of time to do so in a special way," Naughton said.