Dolly Parton Has 11 Siblings: Learn About All Of Her Brothers & Sisters

 

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Dolly Parton Has Lots Of Brothers & Sisters – Get To Know Her 11 Siblings

Country music superstar Dolly Parton is the fourth of twelve children born to Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton. That’s right, she has 11 siblings!

Dolly herself was born on January 19, 1946 in a one-room cabin in Pittman Center, Tennessee, about 26 minutes from Pigeon Forge. Her father worked as a sharecropper, farmer, and construction worker, while her mother stayed home and cared for their children.

Dolly has described their family as being “dirt poor” during her childhood. She recalled how her father Robert paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal when she was born.

Like Dolly, many of her siblings ended up pursuing singing careers. Dolly says her mother’s side of the family fostered their love for music.

“I grew up in a very musical family, all my mother’s people were very musical, so I was always around people playing instruments and singing, and my mom singing the old songs,” she told PEOPLE in 2020.

In 2015, Dolly shared the story of her childhood in her TV movie Coat of Many Colors. She followed up with more heartwarming tales from her youth in the sequel Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.

Dolly’s siblings had featured roles in both movies. Now, keep scrolling to learn more about her real-life siblings…all 11 of them!

Introducing Dolly Parton’s 11 Siblings

Willadeene Parton

Willadeene is the eldest of the 12 Parton siblings. She was born on March 24, 1940. Willadeene is nearly six years older than Dolly, and a full 19 years older than their youngest sibling, Rachel.

Because she was the oldest of the Parton kids, many of Willadeene’s brothers and sisters looked up to her as a second mother figure.

As she grew up, Willadeene made it clear she too, had a passion for music. She pursued a gospel career for several years before leaving the music industry.

Willadeene discovered a new passion, writing. She published a memoir, Smoky Mountain Memories: Stories from the Hearts of the Parton Family in 1996. She published her second book, a cookbook titled All-Day Singing & Dinner on the Ground in 1997.

Since then, Willadeene has lived a mostly private life out of the spotlight.

David Parton

David is the firstborn Parton son. He was born in 1942.

Unlike many of his other siblings, David did not pursue a music career. He worked as a bridge builder superintendent and lived a private life, though he was occasionally photographed with Dolly and their brothers and sisters.

David passed away on November 15, 2024, at the age of 82.

Coy Parton

The third Parton sibling, and second son, Coy, was born in 1943.

Like his older brother David, Coy chooses to live a private life.

Robert Lee Parton Jr.

Two years after Dolly was born, she got a little brother. Robert Lee Parton Jr. was born in 1948.

Robert Jr. is also the third Parton sibling who has always maintained a private life. Much like his older brothers Coy and David, Robert did not pursue a music career.

Stella Parton

Photo Credit: Gregg DeGuire / Contributor / Getty Images
Dolly’s little sister, Stella, was born on May 4, 1949.

Stella followed in her big sister Dolly’s country-singing footsteps. She released her debut album, I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight, in 1975. The album’s title track reached the ninth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart, and kickstarted her career.

Stella has earned several other country hits over the years, including “The Danger of a Stranger,” “Standard Lie Number One,” and “Four Little Letters.”

On top of being a singer, Stella is also an author and actress. Like Willadeene, Stella released her own memoir in 2011, titled Tell It Sister, Tell It: Memories, Music and Miracles. She’s also authored three cookbooks.

Stella appeared in Dolly’s TV movie Coat of Many Colors and Christmas of Many Colors. She played town gossip Corla Bass. Stella also served as the official Parton family representative on set.

“It was very, very important to me that everyone see the film and the honest, sincere form of worship that I grew up with,” Stella shared in a statement posted on Dolly’s website about the movie.

Stella remains active as a country music performer to this day.

Cassie Parton

After Stella, the Partons welcomed another baby girl. Cassie was born on February 12, 1951.

Like many of her siblings, Cassie loves singing. She performed in a gospel group with some of her sisters for awhile before ending her professional music career.

Cassie later joined the cast of her big sister’s My People show at Dollywood during the 2013 season. She performed as a vocalist in the program alongside their brother, Randy.

Other than that, Cassie lives a mostly private life these days.

Randy Parton

Photo Credit: dollyparton.com
Dolly’s younger brother Randy was born on December 15, 1953. He followed her and many of their other siblings by pursuing a music career of his own.

Randy released his debut album, There Was a Dream, in 1978. He released two more albums during his career. Those albums produced hit singles such as “Hold Me Like You Never Had Me,” “Shot Full of Love,” and “Oh, No.”

In 1982, Randy became the first artist to record the song “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler).” Alabama recorded the track two years later.

He went on to headline his own show at Dollywood starting in 1986.

On top of recording his own material, Randy worked closely with Dolly on her music. He recorded several songs with her, including “Holdin’ on to You,” “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You,” “Tennessee Homesick Blues,” “What a Heartache,” and “You Are My Christmas.”

Also, when Dolly starred in the movie Rhinestone, he recorded a song for the soundtrack. To top it off, Randy played guitar and bass for Dolly.

Sadly, Randy passed away in January 2021 following a battle with cancer. He was 67 years old.

 

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“We are a family of faith and we believe that he is safe with God and that he is joined by members of the family that have gone on before and have welcomed him with joy and open arms,” Dolly shared in a statement after Randy died.

She said singing with him “will always be a highlight” in her career.

Larry Parton

The Partons welcomed their ninth child and fifth son, Larry, in July 1955. Sadly, Larry passed away just four days after his birth. Dolly was only nine years old at the time of her brother’s death.

Larry’s death was the subject of Dolly’s first Coat of Many Colors film. The movie showed how his tragic passing affected the Parton family, and eventually made them stronger.

While speaking with Fox News about the film, Dolly shared how as each new baby would arrive, Avie Lee would tell her older kids, “‘This one is gonna be your baby.’ That just meant that you got to take extra care of it.”

Larry was supposed to be Dolly’s “baby.” Because of this, she experienced “a lot of heartache” after he passed away.

Floyd Parton

Photo Credit: Ron Galella / Contributor / Getty Images
Dolly’s little brother Floyd was born on June 1, 1957. He too, pursued a career in country music.

Floyd was most well-known for his work as a songwriter. He and Dolly co-wrote her #1 hit “Nickels and Dimes” from her 1978 Heartbreaker album.

Floyd also served as the sole writer behind the song “Rockin’ Years.” Dolly released the song as a duet with Ricky Van Shelton in 1991, and it also reached #1.

Sadly, Floyd died in 2018 at the age of 61. Dolly and the rest of the Parton family provided a statement to PEOPLE about his passing.

“…we laid our sweet baby brother to rest. We all sang his lovely song, ‘Rockin’ Years,’ together as a family at the service to say goodbye to him. He lived a short life of love and beautiful songs.”

Freida Parton

Freida is wearing the pink outfit. The woman in the white outfit is one of Freida and Dolly Parton’s other siblings, sister Stella. Photo Credit: Ron Galella / Contributor / Getty Images
Like her brother Floyd, Freida was also born on June 1, 1957…and that’s because they’re twins.

Freida also pursued a singing career, but not in country music. She performed in a punk rock band!

Still, Freida occasionally joined her family to sing country, and provided backing vocals on some of Dolly’s albums.

Then in 2014, Freida became an ordained minster. She followed a huge dream of hers, and opened a combination wedding chapel and antique store in Sevierville, Tennessee called Parton Family Wedding Chapel & Antiques.

“I love weddings and I love being a part of it because a little bit of that love falls on me. And if I can be a blessing to someone else, I’ve done my job,” she told The Knoxville News Sentinel in 2014.

Rachel Parton

 

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The youngest of the 12 Parton siblings, Rachel, was born on August 31, 1959.

Rachel followed in the footsteps of many of her siblings and chased musical dreams of her own. She was the lead vocalist of a band called Honey Creek, which she founded with her older brother Randy.

Rachel dropped out of school after the eighth grade to follow her big sister Dolly on the road. She loved makeup, and would do Dolly’s makeup before her shows. She also performed as one of her backing vocalists.

In later years, Rachel pivoted and pursued an acting career instead. She landed a lead role on the 9 to 5 television series based on Dolly’s song and movie of the same name. Rachel played the character Doralee Rhodes from 1982-1988. Doralee is the same character Dolly played in the 9 to 5 movie.

Recently, Dolly announced that she and Rachel wrote a cookbook together. Titled Good Lookin’ Cookin’, the book contains some of the sisters’ favorite recipes, 80 in total.

“She’s a great cook,” Dolly told Yahoo! Life about Rachel, “So we’re going to come out with a cookbook in the near future called Good Lookin’ Cookin’ because she knows how to make it pretty and make it taste good.”

Get more details about Dolly’s new cookbook with her little sister Rachel by tuning in to the video below.