Randy Parton, Dolly’s brother and collaborator, dies at 67
Dolly Parton’s brother Randy, a singer and bass player who frequently collaborated with his older sister, died after a battle with cancer at age 67, his sister said Thursday.
Randy Parton “was a great singer, writer and entertainer,” Dolly Parton said in a statement. She added: “We will always love him, and he will always be in our hearts.”
Randy Parton, who performed with a flowing mane of brown hair, played in his sister’s band for many years. He also released his own music, including the albums “There Was A Dream” and “America, From Where I Stand.”
A longtime resident of Sevierville, Tenn., the city where he was raised, Randel Huston Parton, who was born on Dec. 15, 1953, was a fixture at the Dollywood theme park.
He appeared in the 1984 film “Rhinestone,” which starred his sister, and sang with her on her hit cover of “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You.” On last year’s holiday album “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” the siblings shared a duet titled “You Are My Christmas.”
“He was born around Christmastime, and he was our Christmas baby,” Dolly told The Tennessean. “We always called him ‘Christmas’ just for fun.”
Dolly Parton said in her statement Thursday the Christmas song was Randy’s last recording, “and he shined on it just like he’s shining in heaven now.”
Parton is survived by his wife Deb, daughter Heidi and son Sabyn, and two grandchildren.
