Dolly Parton and Her Family Open Up About Heartbreak Over Death of Singing Icon's Brother: 'He Got His Angel Wings and Is at Peace'
Dolly Parton's older brother died at 82.
Nov. 16 2024, Published 11:15 a.m. ET
Dolly Parton has faced another heartbreaking family loss as her older brother, David Parton, has passed away at the age of 82.
RadarOnline can reveal the country music icon's sister, Stella Parton, confirmed the news and claimed David died "peaceful".
David is Dolly's fourth sibling to pass away.
Stella took to X and wrote: "It's never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace."
Dolly has yet to share a statement about David's death, and the family offered no other information about his passing.
David Parton was one of Dolly's 11 siblings, born to Robert and Avie Lee Parton, as part of a large family that consisted of six boys and six girls.
The family includes Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Dolly Rebecca, Bobby Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Randel Huston "Randy," Larry Gerald, Estel Floyd, Freida Estelle and Rachel Ann.
Dolly Parton had 11 brothers and sisters.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck their family. David is the fourth of Dolly's brothers to pass away, with Larry dying shortly after birth in 1955, Floyd passing away in 2018 at the age of 61, and Randy succumbing to cancer at the age of 67 in 2021.
The Parton family's humble beginnings in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, saw them living in a small two-room cabin with their own farm.
Dolly has previously shared glimpses of her childhood, including stories of growing up in a close-knit household filled with love and shared meals.
The Parton family bonded over food.
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In a recent promotion for her cookbook, "Good Lookin' Cookin'", which she co-authored with her sister Rachel, Dolly reminisced about the influence of their upbringing on the recipes featured in the book.
One notable dish, her mom's Skillet Cornbread, holds a special place in their family history, with Rachel learning to make it at just five years old.
The Jolene singer wrote: "It's one of my favorite dishes, period.
"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."
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."
Food has always played a significant role in the Parton family dynamic, connecting them through shared meals and cherished memories.
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