By John Gullion

Tribune Managing Editor

As part of Dollywood’s announcement about plans in the wake of Dolly Parton’s death at the age of 80 from cancer, the Park brought Dolly’s niece Heidi Parton out to perform one of her aunt’s classic songs and talk to the media.

Dollywood President Eugene Naughton said that Dolly would want to lighten the mood and Heidi obliged with her band, playing Dolly’s upbeat classic “9 to 5.”

Afterward, Randy Parton’s daughter – who has a show at Dollywood called Heidi Parton’s Kin & Friends – talked about the world’s outpouring of grief for her Aunt Granny.

“I was talking to a friend the other day. Before something so profound like this happens, having a family member like that, in your mind you go, ‘you know what? I don’t know if I want to share this kind of loss with the whole word. I want to keep her to myself,’” she said. “But then, it came to pass. I’ve experienced myself, getting messages and photos and videos from friends, going and experiencing all the condolences the flowers, the blooms and everything. And I literally went, ‘How selfish of me to think that? Everyone loved her. She was not just ours. She was everyone’s and everyone is mourning her and grieving her including us’ and it gave me a whole new love and respect and perspective on the situation.

“I am truly grateful for all the outpouring of love that people have shown. I am very humbled by what everyone has poured out her and us.”

Asked if it was difficult to perform one of her Aunt’s songs after losing her so recently, Parton explained there is catharsis to be found through music.

“I don’t usually write when I’m grief stricken. Not always. I did write ‘The Gift’ after my dad passed away but how I clear my mind is I listen to the songs that they left me. Or go for a drive and I listen to those songs on that drive and that’s how I slowly heal, listening to their music, remembering the memories, the jokes and everything else they left. I like to drive. That’s how I heal.”