All About Dolly Parton’s 11 Siblings, Including Her 6 Brothers and 5 Sisters
All About Dolly Parton’s 11 Siblings, Including Her 6 Brothers and 5 Sisters
Emily Weaver, Emily BlackwoodMon, July 27, 2026 at 6:46 PM UTC
1
Dolly Parton with her siblingsCredit: Dolly Parton Instagram -
Dolly Parton grew up in a three-bedroom cabin in Tennessee with her 11 siblings
Several of them pursued careers in music or writing, while others stayed away from the spotlight
Five of Dolly’s siblings have died over the years, including Larry, Randy, Floyd, David and Coy
Dolly Parton was raised in a three-bedroom cabin she shared with her 11 siblings: Willadeene, David, Coy, Robert Jr., Stella, Cassie, Randy, Larry, Floyd and twins Freida and Rachel.
“With that many brothers and sisters there was plenty of teasing and fighting,” she told The Guardianin February 2016. “But we were all in it together.”
Robert and Avie Lee Parton settled with their large brood near the Smoky Mountains in Sevierville, Tenn. Though the family of 14 didn’t have much, they did have each other and music.
The tradition has carried the Parton siblings through their adult years. In December 2015, the siblings gathered for the release of the TV movie Coat of Many Colors, which is based on the Parton family’s poverty-stricken upbringing.
“It brought us back together as family and made us miss mama and daddy a lot,” Dolly told PEOPLE. “They’re gone now, but we get a chance to see our brothers and sisters again and when we were little, and think of mama and daddy and all that they meant to us.”
Dolly has said goodbye to some of her siblings over the years, including her brother Coy “Denver” Parton, who died in July 2026 at the age of 82, according to an obituary shared by Atchley Funeral Home.
Here’s everything to know about Dolly Parton’s siblings, including her six brothers and five sisters.
Willadeene Parton
Willadeene PartonCredit: Ron Frehm/AP
Avie and Robert welcomed their first child, daughter Willadeene, on March 24, 1940.
As the oldest child of the Parton clan, Willadeene was often seen as a maternal figure by her younger siblings.
Willadeene briefly forayed into music (she was in a gospel music group with a few of her sisters), but eventually found her calling through storytelling.
In 1996, she published her first book, a memoir about her family titled Smoky Mountain Memories: Stories from the Hearts of the Parton Family. The following year, in 1997, she released the cookbook All-Day Singing & Dinner on the Ground with recipes inspired by her Tennessee upbringing.
Since then, she’s settled down and away from the spotlight in Tennessee.
Stella Parton
Stella PartonCredit: Mike Marsland/WireImage
Stella was born on May 4, 1949, in Sevierville.
Like her sister Dolly, Stella launched a career in the music industry. Her debut album, titled I Want to Hold You In My Dreams Tonight, came out in 1975, and skyrocketed her career.
Inspired by Willadeene, Stella penned her own memoir. The 2011 release was titled Tell It Sister, Tell It: Memories, Music and Miracles. She also wrote three cookbooks, including State Fairs and Church Bazaars and Stella Parton’s Country Cookin’.
In 2015, Stella starred in Dolly’s movie Coat of Many Colors and three years later, Stella competed in the British TV series Celebrity MasterChef.
While promoting the film Nothing Is Impossible, Stella told PEOPLE in October 2022 that she always has “two or three projects on the cooker, in the slow-cooker” at any given time, whether it’s an album or on-screen project.
Though Stella pursued more of a solo career, family collaborations have also been a soft spot of hers.
“Everybody knows that I’m independent. I’m a loner in my family,” she said. “But if they need me, if they call me out to help with something, producing, consulting or whatever, I’m always there.”
She continued, “And they respect and honor that from me. But I’ve always been a steadfast, capable person. I certainly don’t think of myself as above average in talent or intellect, but I am above average in productivity. I will work hard.”
At age 19, Stella welcomed son Timothy with then-husband Marvin Carrol Rauhuff. The pair divorced in 1970 after four years of marriage. She was also married to Steven Messer from 1988 to 1991.
Cassie Parton
Cassie PartonCredit: Katherine Bomboy/NBC/Getty
Cassie was born on Feb. 12, 1951.
At a young age, she took up singing and was part of a gospel group with her sisters. Though her professional music career stopped there, she did appear in her sister’s show My People: Dolly’s Letter Home as a vocalist in 2013, per The Knoxville News Sentinel.
Since her stage days, Cassie has retreated out of the spotlight. She shares son Bryan Melvin Seaver and daughter Rebecca Ann Seaver with husband Larry Seaver.
Randy Parton
Randy Parton with Dolly PartonCredit: Todd Wetherington/The Daily Herald/AP
Born on Dec. 15, 1953, near the family’s home in Sevierville, Randy was the eighth child of the 12 Parton siblings.
Much like his famous older sister, Randy had quite a prosperous career in music. In 1986, he headlined his own show at Dollywood and went on to produce chart-topping hits like “Hold Me Like You Never Had Me” and “Shot Full of Love.” He was even featured in a duet with Dolly called “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You.”
In January 2021, the renowned singer-songwriter died at age 67. Dolly revealed the sad news on Facebook, sharing that her brother “has lost his battle with cancer,” though she and the family found comfort in knowing “he is in a better place than we are at this time.”
“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,” she continued in her statement.
Dolly described Randy as “a great singer, writer, and entertainer,” whom she had the joy of watching sing and play “guitar and bass in my band for many years.”
Randy was survived by his wife Deb and daughter Heidi, as well as his son Sabyn from a previous relationship, and grandsons Huston and Trent.
Larry Parton
Avie and Robert’s ninth child, a son named Larry, died four days after his birth in July 1955.
His death is the subject of Dolly’s 2015 movie Coat of Many Colors, which is also based on the country star’s 1971 hit of the same name.
Advertisement
“My mother, through the years, when we were born, since there were so many of us, used to say, ‘This one is gonna be you baby.’ That just meant that you got to take extra care of it. You have got to get up with it at night and rock it back and forth,” Dolly recalled to TV critics in 2016, per Fox News.
Though Larry died soon after his birth, he and Dolly shared a close bond with him. “This particular baby that passed away in the movie was my baby.”
Dolly was 9 years old when Larry died and experienced “a lot of heartache.”
She added, “All things are hard, but that is what makes your memories. That is what makes you who and what you are.”
Floyd Parton
Dolly Parton and Floyd PartonCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Floyd was born on June 1, 1957, in Sevierville.
Like several of his siblings, he found great success in music and even worked alongside sister Dolly.
The duo wrote the 1991 duet “Rockin’ Years” with Ricky Van Shelton and “Nickels and Dimes” off Dolly’s Heartbreaker album, both of which hit No. 1 on the charts.
Described as “a renaissance man” with a deep appreciation for the great outdoors, Floyd died in December 2018 at the age of 61.
Dolly honored her younger brother and longtime songwriting partner with a song at the private memorial service.
“Dolly, and the entire Parton Family, wish to thank everyone for their kindness,” said the Parton family in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. “Yesterday, 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 Parton and Dolly PartonCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Also born on June 1, 1957, in Sevierville, Freida is Floyd’s twin sister.
In her early life, Freida performed in a punk band, which was quite a departure from her family’s country roots. Albeit, she occasionally sang backup on Dolly’s albums.
In 2014, Freida became an ordained minister. She opened a joint chapel and antique store in her hometown of Sevierville called Parton Family Wedding Chapel & Antiques.
Speaking to The Knoxville News Sentinel at the time, Freida explained she was inspired to “do something really special.” She added, “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.”
Freida’s daughter, Jada Andersen, has followed in her mom’s and aunt’s musical footsteps. Her stage name is Jada Star, and in 2018, she released her debut album, Long Way Home, alongside her friend Barry J.
“Well [Dolly Parton’s] such an amazing songwriter and kind of writes everything she feels and thinks ... I mean my mother Frieda is the same way,” Andersen told Knox News. “My mom’s a songwriter, and I grew up with someone who was always writing and feeling and putting it out on paper and teaching me how to play guitar, and she was so influential in that, and she was so influenced by her big sister, so it just sort of was like this little step ladder situation.”
In 2023, Jada appeared on ABC’s Claim to Fame, a reality show that brings 12 celebrity relatives together as they compete to discover who they are each related to. She was eliminated in episode 3 after she was revealed to be Dolly’s niece.
Freida also made headlines in October 2025: After Dolly postponed her Las Vegas residency due to her health in September, a week later, Freida shared a social media post saying that she was “up all night praying“ for her sister, but quickly returned with another post to “clear the air” after fans were worried about what she meant.
Clarifying that Dolly had been “a little under the weather,“ Freida explained, “I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly.”
The singer has since shared that she was feeling better and continuing to stay busy.
Rachel Parton
Rachel PartonCredit: Katherine Bomboy/NBC/Getty
The youngest of the Partons, Rachel was born on Aug. 31, 1959, in Sevierville.
Back in the day, Rachel was one of the lead vocalists in the band Honey Creek, which she started with her late brother, Randy.
She eventually transitioned into the world of acting, and is best known for her role in the ABC sitcom 9 to 5, based on Dolly’s film of the same name. In the series, which aired from 1982 to 1988, Rachel portrayed a dramatized version of herself under the name Doralee.
Before she was a recognized actress, Rachel was Dolly’s wing-woman. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, Rachel recalled makeup being her true passion as a young girl; she even spent time on the road with Dolly as her makeup artist and backup singer.
After eighth grade, Rachel dropped out of school and joined Dolly on the road full-time. She then met her future husband Richard Dennison, who had been hired as Dolly’s new pianist. They dated for three years before tying the knot in 1979.
In September 2024, Rachel and Dolly released a cookbook titled Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals, which includes more than 80 Parton family recipes.
“Everybody knew to be there at the right time,” Rachel told PEOPLE of supper time growing up. “We wanted to be together.”
David Parton, Coy Parton and Robert Lee Parton Jr.
Unlike their famous sisters, brothers David, Coy and Robert Lee have all led private lives out of the spotlight.
David and Coy, born in 1942 and 1943, respectively, are Dolly’s older brothers. Her younger brother, Robert Jr., was born in 1948.
On Nov. 15, 2024, David died at age 82. He passed away at his home in White Pine, Tenn.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace,” Stella wrote on X.Two years later, Coy died on July 23, 2026. According to his obituary, he worked for years as a crane operator building bridges and was also a homestead farmer and hunter. Coy was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Parton, and is survived by his daughters, Chris and Jennifer Parton.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
