On this day (January 21) in 2021, Randy Parton died in his hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, after a battle with cancer at the age of 67. In life, Parton was a songwriter who had a brief but moderately successful recording career. Additionally, he recorded duets with his older sister, Dolly Parton, and headlined a regular show in her Dollywood theme park.
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Randy was the eighth of 12 children in the Parton family and the youngest boy. Over the years, various family members contributed to his career. For example, he released the Floyd Parton-penned “Tennessee Born” as his debut single in 1975. Two years later, he released “Down,” which was written by Dolly.
[RELATED: On This Day in 1979, Dolly Parton Was at No. 1 With Her First Single To Get a Disco Remix]
He and his superstar big sister also recorded together. For instance, in 2020, he and his daughter Heidi sang on Dolly’s “You Are My Christmas.” They worked together several times over the years. However, they didn’t just sing duets together.
Porter Wagoner, who helped Dolly Parton achieve national fame early in her career, produced Randy’s singles. Additionally, Randy contributed the song “Too Much Water” to the Rhinestone soundtrack. The film famously starred Dolly and Sylvester Stallone.
According to Dolly Parton’s website, Randy started headlining a show at Dollywood in 1987. A few years later, he formed the band Honey Creek, which regularly performed at the park. Then, he left the band and returned to headlining his show. He didn’t just perform, though. He used the show’s platform to introduce up-and-coming artists, including his daughter, Heidi.
Randy Parton’s Recording Career
Randy Parton’s recording career was relatively short. However, he was able to find a pair of hits in the early 1980s. In 1981, he released “Hold Me Like You Never Had Me” and “Shot Full of Love.” Both songs peaked at No. 30 on the Hot Country Songs chart. While he never reached the top 40 again, Parton released three more charting singles.
He recorded four duets with Dolly Parton. The first, “Holdin’ on to You,” came in 1977, on her hit album New Harvest…First Gathering. Three years later, they recorded “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You” for Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. The siblings also teamed up for “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “What a Heartache” for the Rhinestone soundtrack.
Featured Image by on Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
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