Dollywood Company president says Dolly Parton “had never forgotten how to serve others” amid tributes after her death

Tributes continued to pour in after Dolly Parton’s death, and the Dollywood Company president used the moment to describe the legacy he said shaped the singer’s public life. In an interview segment carried by CBS News, Eugene Naughton spoke with CBS reporter Skyler Henry about Parton’s approach to fame and service, saying she “never forgot how to serve others.”

Naughton’s comments were framed around Parton’s relationship with her audiences and her broader cultural footprint, which includes her identity as an entertainment figure whose work also has been closely linked to philanthropic and community-minded themes over the years. In the CBS News conversation, he presented that service orientation as a continuing throughline, describing it as something Parton carried with her rather than treating it as an occasional gesture.

For many fans, the statements from Dollywood’s leadership were received as an extension of how the park and related business have associated Parton’s brand with warmth, family-oriented experiences, and community connection. Dollywood is operated by The Dollywood Company, and Naughton’s remarks placed Parton’s legacy in the context of an organization built to reflect the singer’s influence on Southern culture and popular entertainment.

The CBS News report noted that the public response to Parton’s passing has remained active, with continued tributes arriving from across the cultural landscape. Naughton’s framing focused less on a single performance or project and more on the pattern he said defined Parton’s career and character, including the idea that the singer viewed attention and platform as an opportunity to help others.

Parton died at 80, according to the CBS News item. The interview segment centered on Naughton’s perspective as president of The Dollywood Company, rather than offering new details about her final arrangements or any specific plans by the company. The CBS News report did not describe a schedule of memorial events or operational changes for Dollywood in the included segment.

The Dollywood Company president also addressed what service can mean in a public figure’s day-to-day approach. When describing Parton’s legacy, Naughton emphasized consistency, saying she “never forgot how to serve others,” a line that situates Parton’s charitable and community-minded messages as part of her enduring public identity rather than separate from her artistic work.

As tributes continue, Naughton’s comments add to a broader set of statements from people and institutions that have long associated Parton with accessible entertainment and a service-minded worldview. The CBS News interview provides a view from within the Dollywood operation, tying Parton’s legacy to how her message is reflected in the experiences the company has built for visitors and families.

In the coming days, additional details about how Dollywood and other institutions plan to mark Parton’s passing may emerge through official channels. For now, the CBS News segment highlights the same central theme in multiple public tributes: an emphasis on service and community connection as an enduring part of Parton’s cultural impact.