Dolly Parton's Inner Circle Scrambled To Bring Loved Ones To Nashville as Health Declined

Dolly Parton's inner circle scrambled to bring her closest family and friends to Nashville to be by her side as her health took a dire turn over the weekend ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Dolly's team was coordinating travel for loved ones after her hospitalization, as the hours passed and it became increasingly clear her condition was worsening.

We're told those closest to Dolly initially hoped she would recover and be released from the hospital, as she had in the past when suffering health setbacks ... but that changed as the weekend went on and the situation became more serious.

As we first reported, Dolly died Tuesday morning at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, after she was admitted early Friday with various ailments.

Dolly had dealt with health complications in recent months, including immune-system and digestive issues, kidney stones and medication-related problems. She also canceled appearances and postponed her Las Vegas residency while focusing on her health.

Her reps revealed Wednesday she had cancer and was surrounded by loved ones when she died.