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

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.”

Religion & Politics

Photos of the Week: Mawlid, sorrows of war

Muslim faithful sing with prayer beads as they mark Prophet Muhammad's birthday, known as Mawlid, on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In Opinion

And finally, California inmates celebrate a unique b’nai mitzvah.

Inside California’s oldest prison, on the shores of the San Francisco Bay, the men sat in a row at the front of the chapel, wearing purple kippahs and identical light-blue shirts. One by one, they approached the podium and made short statements.

“I’m making a promise to never return to bloodshed or drugs,” one said. Another said, “I’m giving my life to Adonai (God) and the Jewish people.” A third added, “I want to make my ancestors proud.”

With musical accompaniment from a band called the Greater Good, the men proceeded to lead the Shabbat morning service in Hebrew, a language they were still trying to master. They donned prayer shawls and paraded a small Torah scroll around the chapel, slapping hands with members of the audience. Then each of the men chanted a few lines from the Torah to applause and shouts of “yasher koach!” (well done).

The group b’nai mitzvah ceremony at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center was the culmination of more than a year of study for the nine participants, who ranged in age from late-30s to mid-60s.

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