Country singer Randy Parton, the younger brother of music legend Dolly Parton, has died. He was 67.
Parton died of cancer, his sister said in a Facebook post.
“The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time,” Dolly Parton wrote. “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.
“We will always love him and he will always be in our hearts.”
Dolly Parton turned 75 on Tuesday.
My brother Randy has lost his battle with cancer. The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better...
Posted by Dolly Parton on Thursday, January 21, 2021
Randy Parton is the latest of the music legend’s siblings to die. Her brother, Floyd Parton, died in December 2018 at 61, People reported.
Randy Parton was born Dec. 15, 1953, in Sevierville, Tennessee, the eighth of 12 children, The Tennessean reported.
He was a fixture at Dollywood and began hosting shows at the East Tennessee theme park in 1986, the newspaper reported. Randy Parton was noted for his live performances at the park, including “My People, My Music,” a seasonal favorite.
Officials at Dollywood called Randy Parton a “creative leader” at the park.
“He has left a lasting legacy at Dollywood with his talent, his creativity and his leadership,” Paige Bales, director of Dollywood entertainment, said in the statement. “We will all miss him but heaven has gained another star.”
Randy Parton recorded several country singles during the 1970s and early 1980s, The Tennessean reported. He was best known for “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You,” a chart-topping duet with his sister. He often shared stages with Dolly Parton, playing bass and guitar in her band.
His recording career included the 1982 song, “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler),” and he sang on the soundtrack to the 1984 film “Rhinestone,” which starred his sister.
Other songs Randy Parton charted on Billboard included “Hold Me Like You Never Had Me” (No. 30, 1981), “Shot Full of Love” (No. 30, 1981), “Don’t Cry Baby” (No. 80, 1981), “Oh, No” (No. 76, 1982) and “A Stranger In Her Bed” (No. 92, 1983).
Randy Parton’s daughter, Heidi, sang last year on “You Are My Christmas,” which appeared on Dolly Parton’s latest Christmas album, “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” CNN reported. The song rose to No. 21 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart
“It was his last musical recording and he shined on it just like he’s shining in heaven now,” Parton said.
Parton said last year that she wrote the song for her brother.
“He was born around Christmas time and he was our Christmas baby,” Parton told The Tennessean. “We always called him ‘Christmas’ just for fun. ... I just thought, well, I’m gonna write a song for him to sing with me.”
Randy Parton is survived by his wife Deb Parton, two children and two grandchildren, the newspaper reported. Those wishing to honor Randy Parton may donate to the Imagination Library in honor him and his late father, Lee Parton.
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