The 9 to 5 star comes from a big family in Tennessee
var s1=’$’
One of the things that’s most inevitable about Christmas? A new Dolly Parton special, or a Christmas of Many Colors re-airing, if you will!
The beloved recurring holiday special chronicles the 77-year-old star’s childhood growing up in poverty in Sevierville, Tennessee. However, what always kept her going was music and a big, big family.
Here’s what we know about Dolly’s 11 siblings, the inspiration behind her Christmas of Many Colors, and their own claim to fame…
Willadeene Parton
The oldest of the Parton siblings, 83-year-old Willadeene briefly ventured into music as a member of a gospel singing group with her sisters before finding fame as an author.
She wrote a family memoir titled Smoky Mountain Memories: Stories from the Hearts of the Parton Family in 1996, and followed it up with a 1997 cookbook, All-Day Singing & Dinner on the Ground. She lives a private life in her native Tennessee.
Stella Parton
var s1=’$’
A prolific musician just like her sister, now 74-year-old Stella has released more than 30 albums since the 1960s, even scoring a top-ten country hit with the 1975 song “I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight.”
She has ventured into acting as well, making appearances in TV and film, including her sister’s Coat of Many Colors (2015) and Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (2016), plus Celebrity MasterChef in 2018.
Cassie Parton
Cassie, 72, maintains a more private life with her husband Larry Seaver and their two children. She was part of the gospel group with her sisters at a young age, and appeared as a vocalist in the 2013 special My People: Dolly’s Letter Home.
Randy Parton
Randy was a musician just like his siblings, performing with his band Moonlight Bandits, and was the original artist to record the 1982 track “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” (which became a 1984 number one for the band Alabama).
He closely collaborated with his sister Dolly as well, performing a track for her Rhinestone soundtrack in 1984. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 67 following a long battle with cancer.
Larry Parton
Larry tragically passed away just four days after his birth in July 1955. Coat of Many Colors depicts the family’s response to the heartbreak, which Dolly elaborated on in a 2015 interview with Fox News, calling him “my baby.”
var s1=’$’
“All things are hard, but that is what makes your memories. That is what makes you who and what you are,” she shared.
Floyd Parton
Born June 1, 1957, Floyd ventured into the art of songwriting and often wrote for Dolly, including the 1978 song “Nickels and Dimes,” “Waltz Me to Heaven” from 1984’s Rhinestone, and 1991’s “Rockin’ Years.”
Floyd passed away in December 2018 at the age of 61, and the entire family gathered together at his memorial service to perform the song “Rockin’ Years” in tribute.
Freida Parton
Floyd’s twin Freida, now 66, started off in a punk band, unlike many of her country music-oriented siblings, but stepped away from the music industry not long after to become an ordained minister, opening a chapel and antique store in the family’s hometown.
Her daughter, Jada Andersen (who goes by Jada Star), is also a musician who appeared in 2023 on the ABC show Claim To Fame as herself, aka Dolly’s niece.
Rachel Parton
var s1=’$’
The youngest of the Parton siblings, 64-year-old Rachel (now Rachel Dennis) maintains a life away from the spotlight now, but started off as a makeup artist on the road for her sister and ventured into acting.
Her biggest (and only) on-screen role happened to be the sitcom version of Dolly’s acclaimed film 9 to 5, which ran originally from 1982-83 and returned in syndication and ran from 1986-88.
David, Coy, and Robert Lee Parton Jr.
Dolly’s older brothers David and Coy, now 81 and 80, and her younger brother Robert, 75, all maintain lives away from the spotlight, and very little is known about them.
var s1=’$’