Dolly Parton announced on Facebook yesterday that her brother, singer-songwriter Randy Parton, passed away at 67 after a battle with cancer.
“The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time,” she writes. “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 writes that Randy “was a great singer, writer, and entertainer,” who played in her band for several years. She also notes, “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.”
Randy even duets with Dolly on “You Are My Christmas” from her recent holiday album, “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” with Dolly sharing, “It was his last musical recording and he shined on it just like he’s shining in heaven now.”
Finally, Dolly writes, “We will always love him and he will always be in our hearts.”
