Randy Parton, musician and younger brother of country singer Dolly Parton, died after a battle with cancer. He was 67 years old.
Dolly announced the news of her brother’s death on her Facebook page on Thursday.
“My brother Randy lost the battle with cancer. The family and I are suffering from his loss, but we know that he is in a better place than we are right now. We are a family of faith and we believe that he is safe with God and that family members who have left and received him with joy and open arms join him, ”she wrote.
She continued, “Randy was a great singer, writer and host. He sang, played guitar and bass in my band for many years. He has run his own show at Dollywood since it opened in 1986. He has had several records from his own chart , but your duet with me on ‘Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You’ will always be a highlight in my own career.
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“‘You Are My Christmas’, our duet on my last Christmas album, together with his daughter Heidi, will always be a favorite. It was his last musical recording and he shone on it as it is shining in the sky now.”
Parton noted that Randy left her, his wife Deb, his daughter Heidi, son Sabyn and grandchildren Trent and Huston.
“We will always love him and he will always be in our hearts,” concludes the statement.
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The Taste of Country reports that Randy was the eighth of 12 children of Robert and Avie Lee.
Although Dolly is perhaps the most well-known name in the family, his career would have been different without the younger brother acting as a guitarist in his band. In addition, the media reports that Randy has had several hits, including “Hold Me Like You Never Had Me” and “Shot Full of Love”, which reached the Top 40 in the 1980s.
Dolly Parton shares the microphone with Brother Randy Parton in Roanoke Rapids, NC in 2005.
(AP Photo / Daily Herald, Todd Wetherington, archive)
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Later in his career, Randy separated from his famous sister in an effort to create a live space to present his music. He opened The Randy Parton Theater in Roanoke Rapids, NC Unfortunately, the lack of infrastructure and ticket sales led to Randy’s role at the end of the project after just a year.
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Parton announced the news just two days after celebrating his 75th birthday on January 19.
News of Randy’s passing comes just a few years after the death of his other brother, Floyd Estel Parton, in 2018.