Dolly Parton is suffering another family loss following the death of her older brother, David Parton, who has died aged 82.
The heartbreaking news was shared on Friday by their sister, Stella Parton, who took to X to announce the "peaceful" passing of their beloved brother.
"My brother David passed away peacefully this morning. It's never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace," she wrote.
The somber post was quickly inundated with condolences by fans, with one writing: "So sorry for your loss, and how lucky he was to have two amazing sisters." Another said: "May his soul rest in peace and may his memory be with you forever."
At the time of writing, Dolly has yet to share a statement about David's death and the family offered no other information about his passing.
David was one of Dolly's 11 siblings born to Robert and Avie Lee Parton. The couple had six boys and six girls.
© Getty ImagesAccording to Dolly's official website, the family consists of – in birth order – Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Dolly Rebecca, Bobby Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Randel Huston "Randy," Larry Gerald, Estel Floyd and Freida Estelle (twins) and Rachel Ann.
David is the fourth of Dolly's brothers to pass away. Larry died four days after his birth in 1955. Her brother Floyd, a close collaborator and songwriter, passed away in 2018 at the age of 61. In 2021, her brother Randy died aged 67 following a long battle with cancer.
© InstagramThe large family lived in a small two-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee with a farm of their own.
In October, the "Jolene" singer shared an insight into her childhood while promoting her cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin', which she collaborated on with her youngest sister Rachel.
© AFF/Alamy Stock PhotoDolly revealed that several recipes in the book were influenced by her childhood, notably her mom's Skillet Cornbread, which Rachel learned to make when she was just five years old.
"It's one of my favorite dishes, period," the "I Will Always Love You" singer shared with EatingWell. "If I'm making potato soup — Mama called 'em soup taters — or if I'm making a big old pot of great northern white beans or pinto beans, you have got to have a skillet of cornbread with that, no doubt about it."
© Getty ImagesShe added: "We lived on a farm and grew our own corn. We had fresh corn on the cob (roasting ears, as they call 'em), cream-style corn that we would scrape off the cob, and we also shucked that corn when it dried in the wintertime, and Daddy would take it down to the gristmill to grind into cornmeal."
© Getty ImagesDolly also spoke about food being an important part of their large family dynamic, which also sometimes included extended relatives.
"I think most families, big families certainly, kind of everything centers around the kitchen and food. We grew up with all of our grandmas and our aunts and our mom, everybody cooking such great country food."
