Dolly Parton’s brother, David Wilburn, has died aged 78 (Picture: Getty/REX)
Dolly Parton and her family have been left heartbroken following the death of her brother David.
The Jolene hitmaker, 78, is one of 12 siblings, with David being the second eldest.
In order of birth, the Parton children are: Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Dolly Rebecca, Bobby Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Randel Huston ‘Randy,’ Larry Gerald, twins Estel Floyd and Freida Estelle, and Rachel Ann.
Confirming the sad news of David’s death at age 82, sister Stella released a statement.
‘My brother David passed away peacefully this morning,’ she wrote on Friday.
On X, she continued: ‘It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace.’
The Jolene hitmaker is one of 12 siblings
Stella’s post was met with an outpouring of support, with fans sending their condolences.
David Wilburn Parton was born to parents Robert and Avie Lee Parton in Sevier County, Tennessee, on March 30, 1942.
No further details about his death are known currently.
He lived a private life in stark contrast to the fame and glamour surrounding the other Partons.
According to his obituary by the Farrar Funeral Home, he ‘retired from Simpson Construction as a bridge builder superintendent; and worked on many of the bridges in the Kingsport, Johnson City, and Knoxville areas.’
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Kay Parton, and daughters, Donna Parton, and Dena (Tommy) Lane.
David also had five grandsons and three great-grandchildren.
Following his death, the Parton family extended their gratitude to those who cared for him, including Dr. David McNabney and Smoky Mountain Home Health & Hospice.
Dolly with her parents, Robert and Avie Lee Parton, in 1987 (Picture: John Seakwood/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
David’s funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 19, at Leadvale Baptist Church.
His death marks the fourth among the Parton clan, after youngest sibling, Larry, died shortly after birth in 1955.
Songwriter Floyd died in 2018 at the age of 61, and fellow performer Randy died in 2021 at 67 after being diagnosed with cancer.
At the time, Grammy-winning star Dolly paid tribute to Randy, writing on social media: ‘The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time.
‘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.’
She hailed her late brother as ‘a great singer, writer, and entertainer’, as he played guitar and bass in Dolly’s band for several years.
‘He headed his own show at Dollywood since it opened in 1986. He’s had several chart records of his own, but his duet with me on Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You will always be a highlight in my own career,’ added the beloved star.
Dolly’s father also died in 2000 and her mother died in 2003.
Her sister Stella announced the sad news of David’s death (Picture: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
She released a statement online (Picture: X)
The 9 to 5 singer began performing at the age of 10 and made her dreams of achieving stardom into reality, with plenty of her siblings following those same footsteps.
Rachel Dennison starred in the sitcom 9 to 5, which aired from 1982 to 1988.
Speaking about her first and only acting role as secretary Doralee Rhodes, she previously told People magazine: ‘I’m sure people will compare me to Dolly—it’s only human nature.’
Sisters Cassie and Stella both pursued music, while Freida ventured down the punk rock route over the country genre.
Contrastingly, Robert Lee Jr. and Coy Denver opted not to chase fame and chose quieter lives outside of showbusiness.
Dolly has long spoken about her love for her large family, despite growing up, as described by herself, ‘dirt poor.’
The country legend previously insisted she was inspired by her father’s work ethic, explaining: ‘I like to work, I’m just like my daddy in that respect. The work’s never too hard, never too long, if I’ve got a reason to be doing it.’
Meanwhile, she inherited her creativity from her mother: ‘She could tell you anything and make it sound good, she could cook anything and make it taste good and she could sew anything and make it look pretty good.
Dolly began performing at age 10 and has now sold over 100million records worldwide (Picture: Valerie Macon/Getty Images)
Her last album was her biggest success in 2023 (Picture: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
‘I’d say I got my creativity and spirituality mostly from Mama’s people, as we’re all musical, everybody plays, sings.’
She’s now showing no signs of slowing down or calling it quits, having sold over 100million records worldwide.
Her most recent album, Rockstar, was her 49th record and was her highest-charting LP ever, debuting at number three on the Billboard chart.
This month, she released Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables, which somewhat resembles a sonic scrapbook including archive recordings with late elders and new tracks with young relatives.
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