{"id":6404,"date":"2025-09-29T16:51:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T16:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freshstoryes.lol\/?p=6404"},"modified":"2025-09-29T16:51:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T16:51:12","slug":"dolly-parton-has-11-siblings-learn-about-all-of-her-brothers-sisters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshstoryes.lol\/?p=6404","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton Has 11 Siblings: Learn About All Of Her Brothers & Sisters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dolly Parton Has 11 Siblings: Learn About All Of Her Brothers & Sisters<\/h1>\n

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Dolly Parton \/ Facebook<\/p>\n

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Dolly Parton Has Lots Of Brothers & Sisters \u2013 Get To Know Her 11 Siblings<\/h2>\n

Country music superstar Dolly Parton is the fourth of twelve children born to Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton. That\u2019s right, she has 11 siblings!<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Dolly\u00a0has described<\/a>\u00a0their family as being \u201cdirt poor<\/em>\u201d during her childhood.<\/strong>\u00a0She recalled how her father Robert paid the doctor who delivered her\u00a0with a sack of cornmeal<\/a>\u00a0when she was born.<\/p>\n

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Like Dolly, many of her siblings ended up pursuing singing careers. Dolly says her mother\u2019s side of the family fostered their love for music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a very musical family, all my mother\u2019s people were very musical, so I was always around people playing instruments and singing, and my mom singing the old songs,<\/em>\u201d she told\u00a0PEOPLE<\/a><\/em>\u00a0in 2020.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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In 2015, Dolly shared the story of her childhood in her TV movie Coat of Many Colors<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0She followed up with more heartwarming tales from her youth in the sequel\u00a0Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love<\/em>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Dolly\u2019s siblings had featured roles in both movies. Now, keep scrolling to learn more about her real-life siblings\u2026all 11 of them!<\/p>\n

Introducing Dolly Parton\u2019s 11 Siblings<\/h2>\n

Willadeene Parton<\/h3>\n
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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.<\/p>\n

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Because she was the oldest of the Parton kids, many of Willadeene\u2019s brothers and sisters looked up to her as a second mother figure.<\/strong>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.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Willadeene discovered a new passion, writing. She published a memoir,\u00a0Smoky Mountain Memories: Stories from the Hearts of the Parton Family<\/em>\u00a0in 1996. She published her second book, a cookbook titled\u00a0All-Day Singing & Dinner on the Ground<\/em> in 1997.<\/p>\n

Since then, Willadeene has lived a mostly private life out of the spotlight.<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Parton<\/h3>\n

David is the firstborn Parton son. He was born in 1942.<\/p>\n

Unlike many of his other siblings, David did not pursue a music career.<\/strong>\u00a0He worked as a bridge builder superintendent and lived a private life, though he was occasionally photographed with Dolly and their brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n

David\u00a0passed away<\/a>\u00a0on November 15, 2024, at the age of 82.<\/p>\n

Coy Parton<\/h3>\n

The third Parton sibling, and second son, Coy, was born in 1943.<\/p>\n

Like his older brother David, Coy chooses to live a private life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robert Lee Parton Jr.<\/h3>\n

Two years after Dolly was born, she got a little brother. Robert Lee Parton Jr. was born in 1948.<\/p>\n

Robert Jr. is also the third Parton sibling who has always maintained a private life.<\/strong>\u00a0Much like his older brothers Coy and David, Robert did not pursue a music career.<\/p>\n

Stella Parton<\/h3>\n
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Dolly\u2019s little sister, Stella, was born on May 4, 1949.<\/p>\n

Stella followed in her big sister Dolly\u2019s country-singing footsteps.<\/strong>\u00a0She released her debut album,\u00a0I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight<\/em>, in 1975. The album\u2019s title track reached the ninth spot on the\u00a0Hot Country Songs<\/em>\u00a0chart, and kickstarted her career.<\/p>\n

Stella has earned several other country hits over the years, including \u201cThe Danger of a Stranger,\u201d \u201cStandard Lie Number One,\u201d and \u201cFour Little Letters.\u201d<\/p>\n

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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<\/em>. She\u2019s also authored three cookbooks.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Stella appeared in Dolly\u2019s TV movie\u00a0Coat of Many Colors\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Christmas of Many Colors.<\/em> She played town gossip Corla Bass. Stella also served as the official Parton family representative on set.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very, very important to me that everyone see the film and the honest, sincere form of worship that I grew up with<\/em>,\u201d Stella\u00a0shared in a statement<\/a>\u00a0posted on Dolly\u2019s website about the movie.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Stella remains active as a country music performer to this day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cassie Parton<\/h3>\n
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After Stella, the Partons welcomed another baby girl. Cassie was born on February 12, 1951.<\/p>\n

Like many of her siblings, Cassie loves singing.<\/strong> She performed in a gospel group with some of her sisters for awhile before ending her professional music career.<\/p>\n

Cassie later joined the cast of her big sister\u2019s\u00a0My People<\/em>\u00a0show<\/a>\u00a0at Dollywood during the 2013 season. She performed as a vocalist in the program alongside their brother, Randy.<\/p>\n

Other than that, Cassie lives a mostly private life these days.<\/p>\n

Randy Parton<\/h3>\n
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Dolly\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Randy released his debut album,\u00a0There Was a Dream<\/em>, in 1978.<\/strong>\u00a0He released two more albums during his career. Those albums produced hit singles such as \u201cHold Me Like You Never Had Me,\u201d \u201cShot Full of Love,\u201d and \u201cOh, No.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1982, Randy became the first artist to record the song \u201cRoll On (Eighteen Wheeler).\u201d Alabama recorded the track two years later.<\/p>\n

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He went on to headline his own show at Dollywood starting in 1986.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

On top of recording his own material, Randy worked closely with Dolly on her music. He recorded several songs with her, including \u201cHoldin\u2019 on to You,\u201d \u201cOld Flames Can\u2019t Hold a Candle to You,\u201d \u201cTennessee Homesick Blues,\u201d \u201cWhat a Heartache,\u201d and \u201cYou Are My Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also, when Dolly starred in the movie\u00a0Rhinestone<\/em>, he recorded a song for the soundtrack. To top it off, Randy played guitar and bass for Dolly.<\/p>\n

Sadly, Randy passed away in January 2021 following a battle with cancer.\u00a0He was 67 years old.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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