The news hit like a thunderclap. A beloved member of the Parton family is in critical condition, and Tennessee is rattled to its core.
Hospital lights burn through the night, while the family clings to faith and silence.
Fans wait, refreshing their screens, desperate for any sign of hope that their prayers might still be hea…
Across Tennessee and far beyond, people are quietly rearranging their day around a woman most of them have never met.
Cassie Nan Parton, 74, has long stood just outside the spotlight, the steady heartbeat behind a family that helped define American music and culture.
