David Wilburn Parton rose to fame as the older brother of the famous singer Dolly Rebecca Parton. He has 10 younger siblings and one older sister, Willadeena Parton. Apart from Dolly, five of David’s siblings are involved in the American music industry. To find out more about the second eldest sibling of Dolly Parton, keep on reading.
Personal life of David Wilburn Parton
Robert Lee Parton Sr. (1921–2000) and his wife Avie Lee Parton née Owens (1927–2003) welcomed their oldest son David Wilburn Parton on April 19, 1942. Davis is their second child out of the twelve children. Born in in Sevier, Tennessee, David Parton’s father was a Baptist minister; his mother was a homemaker.
Parton’s family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1955. After completing high school, Parton enlisted in the United States Navy, serving four years. He then attended the University of Tennessee, where he studied veterinary medicine. Parton is married to Barbara Ann Sullivan; the couple have two daughters. In 1992, Parton retired from veterinary medicine and moved back to Sevier.
All about Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton was the fourth of 12 children born to Avie and Robert Lee Parton. Parton’s middle name comes from her maternal great-great grandmother, Rebecca Whitted. Before Dolly’s success, her family was extremely poor.
Parton started singing as a kid on East Tennessee radio and television shows. When she was 13, she appeared on Knoxville TV, and eventually made regular appearances on The Porter Wagoner Show, a popular country music television program. In 1964, at age 18, she moved to Nashville to begin a career in country music.
In Nashville, she signed Fred Foster’s Monument Records. At first, she was assigned to record a duet with Bill Owens, “A Dear John Letter”, which became a No. 1 country hit in February 1965. Parton’s first solo single, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”, was released in 1967 and reached No. 23 on the country chart. She continued to record country hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as “Jolene”, “9 to 5”, and “I Will Always Love You”, which was featured in the film The Bodyguard (1992).
In addition to her successful music career, Parton has also starred in several films, including “Nine to Five” (1980), “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982), “Rhinestone” (1984), “Steel Magnolias” (1989), and “Straight Talk” (1992). She has also been a successful businesswoman, owning her own record label, Dollywood theme park, and a variety of other businesses.
Parton has won numerous awards throughout her career, including seven Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, three American Music Awards. She is also among the seven female artists who were awarded the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. Parton was honored into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. She has also been honored by the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress.
Conclusion
David Wilburn Parton and his wife now operate a bed and breakfast in Sevierville, Tennessee. Parton is also active in the community, serving on the boards of several organizations, including the Dollywood Foundation and the Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. In his spare time, Parton enjoys fishing and hunting.
