Skip to main contentSkip to footer
dolly parton holding guitar© Getty Images

Dolly Parton suffers heartbreaking family loss after death of older brother

David Parton was 82 when he died

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
November 16, 2024
Share this:

Dolly Parton is suffering another family loss following the death of her older brother, David Parton, who has died aged 82.

The heartbreaking news was shared on Friday by their sister, Stella Parton, who took to X to announce the "peaceful" passing of their beloved brother.

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Inside Dolly Parton's marriage to husband Carl Dean

"My brother David passed away peacefully this morning. It's never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace," she wrote. 

The somber post was quickly inundated with condolences by fans, with one writing: "So sorry for your loss, and how lucky he was to have two amazing sisters." Another said: "May his soul rest in peace and may his memory be with you forever."

At the time of writing, Dolly has yet to share a statement about David's death and the family offered no other information about his passing.

David was one of Dolly's 11 siblings born to Robert and Avie Lee Parton. The couple had six boys and six girls.

Dolly Parton and brother David Parton during Dolly Parton Sighting at "Morning at Seven" - October 30, 1980 at Lyceum Theater in Edinburgh, Great Britain.© Getty Images
Dolly's brother David died aged 82

According to Dolly's official website, the family consists of – in birth order – Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Dolly Rebecca, Bobby Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Randel Huston "Randy," Larry Gerald, Estel Floyd and Freida Estelle (twins) and Rachel Ann.

David is the fourth of Dolly's brothers to pass away. Larry died four days after his birth in 1955. Her brother Floyd, a close collaborator and songwriter, passed away in 2018 at the age of 61. In 2021, her brother Randy died aged 67 following a long battle with cancer. 

Dolly Parton's family photo© Instagram
Dolly is one of 12 children

The large family lived in a small two-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee with a farm of their own.

In October, the "Jolene" singer shared an insight into her childhood while promoting her cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin', which she collaborated on with her youngest sister Rachel.

Randy Parton the American singer-songwriter, actor and businessman brother of Dolly Parton passed away on Monday at the age of 67 in Pigeon Forge, TN. May 1, 2015 Pigeon Forge, Tn. Dolly Parton and Randy Parton Dollywood's 30th Anniversary Celebration held at Dollywood's Celebrity Theater© AFF/Alamy Stock Photo
Dolly's brother Randy died in 2021

Dolly revealed that several recipes in the book were influenced by her childhood, notably her mom's Skillet Cornbread, which Rachel learned to make when she was just five years old.

"It's one of my favorite dishes, period," the "I Will Always Love You" singer shared with EatingWell. "If I'm making potato soup — Mama called 'em soup taters — or if I'm making a big old pot of great northern white beans or pinto beans, you have got to have a skillet of cornbread with that, no doubt about it."

Musicians Dolly Parton, and her brother Floyd Parton at Bearsville Studios in North Hollywood, California for the recording of Freida Parton's Self-Titled Album-'Freida Parton' on January 15, 1981© Getty Images
Dolly's brother Floyd died in 2018

She added: "We lived on a farm and grew our own corn. We had fresh corn on the cob (roasting ears, as they call 'em), cream-style corn that we would scrape off the cob, and we also shucked that corn when it dried in the wintertime, and Daddy would take it down to the gristmill to grind into cornmeal."

Dolly Parton attends Dolly Parton's Rockstar VIP Album Release Party with American Greetings on November 16, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee© Getty Images
Dolly is close with her siblings

Dolly also spoke about food being an important part of their large family dynamic, which also sometimes included extended relatives. 

"I think most families, big families certainly, kind of everything centers around the kitchen and food. We grew up with all of our grandmas and our aunts and our mom, everybody cooking such great country food."

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best celebrity coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Celebrity News

See more