Dolly Parton Suffers The Tragic Death Of Brother David

David Wilburn Parton, beloved older brother of country music icon Dolly Parton, has died at age 82, several outlets confirmed on November 16, 2024. Their sister, Stella Parton, initially shared the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, on the day of his passing. "My brother David passed away peacefully this morning," she penned to her followers on November 15. "It's never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace." Stella shared a similar sentiment on Threads, and followed up with an additional statement on Facebook, where she lists herself as a singer, songwriter, actress, author, speaker and activist: "Thank you for all your kind thoughts to my family as we continue to grieve the loss of our much loved and cherished oldest brother David." 

David's obituary was posted by Farrar Funeral Home of White Pines, Tennessee, where he resided, and they confirmed that David died at home but did not provide a cause. The retired bridge builder superintendent is the fourth of Dolly's siblings to pass away, preceded by three other brothers — Larry in 1955, Floyd in 2018, and Randy in 2021. David reportedly lived his life mostly away from the spotlight, but was occasionally seen accompanying his famous sister to events. The Grammy winning singer-songwriter has not yet publicly commented on the death of her eldest brother, at the time of writing. 

Dolly Parton is notably one of 12 siblings, seven of whom are still around: Willadeene, Coy, Robert Jr., Stella, Cassie, Freida and Rachel. The family grew up in Tennessee, headed up by parents Robert and Avie Lee Parton. Dolly is an accomplished multi instrumentalist who has been a household name for decades, but surprisingly she's not the only one in her family to contribute to the entertainment industry. Willadeene, Dolly's eldest sister, is an author who published a memoir about her family entitled, "Smoky Mountain Memories: Stories from the Hearts of the Parton Family." 

Stella and Cassie began singing with Dolly, with all three debuting on an uncle's album, and Stella went on to release more than 30 records alongside a memoir of her own, "Tell It Sister, Tell It: Memories, Music and Miracles." She's also appeared in several of Dolly's movies. Rachel, meanwhile, starred in a sitcom called "9 to 5," which was based on the titular movie starring her famous sister, and released a country album, while their brother Randy was also a singer-songwriter who had several Billboard-charting hits. 

Finally, Floyd wrote songs for Dolly while his twin, Frieda, unlike her other musical siblings, was more interested in punk rock than country. The influence of the extended Parton family on the music industry continues to this day, and the legacy of those who have sadly passed is sure to endure for years to come.