Dolly Parton is mourning the death of her younger brother. On Thursday, the country’s icon announced on Facebook that her brother, Randy Parton, “lost the battle with cancer.” He was 67 years old.
“The family and I are sorry for the loss of him, but we know that he is in a better place than we are right now,” she wrote. “We are a family of faith and we believe that he is safe with God and that he is joined by family members who have already passed and have received him with joy and open arms.”
Dolly, who just celebrated her 75th birthday on Tuesday, went on to describe her brother as “a great singer, writer and entertainer.” In fact, she shared, Randy played guitar and bass in his band “for many years.” Additionally, Randy has run his own show at Dollywood, the country singer’s Tennessee amusement park, since its opening in 1986.
Dolly noted that while Randy “had several chart records of his own,” she recounted her 1980 duet with him, “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You,” as a “highlight” of her own career.
The couple teamed up once again for “You Are My Christmas” on Dolly’s 2020 Christmas album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, this time with Randy’s daughter Heidi. That experience, Dolly wrote, “will always be a favorite.”
“It was his last musical recording and he shined on it just like he’s shining in heaven now,” she wrote of the holiday song. “… We will always love him and he will always be in our hearts.”