Dolly Parton died in Nashville on Aug. 25 at the age of 80, leaving behind an estimated net worth between $450 million (Forbes) and $650 million (NBC News).
Beyond Dollywood and her philanthropic empire, Parton's most valuable asset may be the songs themselves: a catalog of more than 3,000 songs. It is unclear who will inherit Parton's fortune.
Her husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 and the couple had no children. No verified public filing has identified who will inherit Parton's estate.
Here's what we know so far about who owns Parton's music.
Who owns Dolly Parton's music?
While questions about who will inherit Parton's
fortune remain unanswered, music industry observers are also watching the future of one of the most valuable songwriter-owned catalogs in country music.
Parton spent decades defying industry norms by retaining ownership stakes in her songs through publishing companies including OwePar Entertainment, the company she founded with her uncle Bill Owens in the 1960s, which is now managed by her cousin Richie Owens, and Velvet Apple Music.
Parton's catalog of thousands of songs, which includes classics like "Jolene," "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You," was estimated by Forbes to be worth roughly $120 million in 2025.
While Parton owned the underlying publishing rights, she partnered with major companies to administer and represent her catalog.
She made agreements with Sony Music Publishing for North America and Concord Music Publishing internationally.
For her recorded performances, known as masters, Parton released music through various labels over her career, including RCA Records and her own independent label, Blue Eye Records.
The Tennessean has reached out to OwePar, Sony and Concord for more information.
Who will inherit Dolly Parton's music catalog?
What happens next to Parton's catalog is not yet public.
Control of the songs could ultimately rest with beneficiaries, trusts or other estate-planning entities established before Parton's death.
As of Aug. 26, no public filings had identified who will oversee the catalog long term.
But attorneys who spoke with The Tennessean said the larger question extends beyond inheritance.
Whoever succeeds Parton will likely bear responsibility for managing one of country music's most valuable collections of intellectual property.
"You want to worry about who is going to control the licensing, who is going to pursue infringement, who is going to both best monetize, but also preserve the integrity of the works," said Lisa Alter, a partner at Alter, Kendrick & Baron who represents clients in the acquisition, sale, and securitization of music assets.
Entertainment attorney Kenneth Abdo, a partner at Nashville's Fox Rothschild, said he would be surprised if Parton had not developed an extensive estate plan.
"I don't know if she has one or doesn't, but I would think she's gotta have one," Abdo said.
"She's that organized ... unlike Prince, who didn't have a will."
(Abdo helped adjudicate the determination of the heirs of Prince's estate — a process that lead to a chaotic multi-year legal battle.)
Estate lawyer Marc M. Stern, partner at Greenberg Glusker, pointed to Parton's foundation, The Dollywood Foundation.
"I don't see that she would have set up a foundation without also having set up a formal estate plan," he said.
Stern said he would not be surprised if Parton's estate benefited both family members and charitable causes.
All three attorneys interviewed by The Tennessean independently said they would be surprised if Parton had not established extensive estate planning years before her death.
But for now, the future steward of Dolly Parton's songs remains unknown.
Contributing: Chris Parton
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who owns Dolly Parton's music catalog, from '9 to 5' to more?
