Randy Parton loses battle with cancer

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Randy Huston Parton, 67, iconic performer and creative leader at Dollywood, has lost his long battle with cancer. After leaving the road as his sister Dolly’s original bass player in the Family Band, Randy moved to Dollywood and entertained millions through his more than 30-year career at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park.  

“Randy was a creative force and a good friend,” Paige Bales, Director of Dollywood Entertainment said.  “He has left a lasting legacy at Dollywood with his talent, his creativity and his leadership. We will all miss him but heaven has gained another star.”

In addition to representing Dolly and the family at Dollywood and producing and staring in multiple productions, Randy also was a songwriter and recording artist in his own right. He scored several charted singles through his career including “Roll On (18 Wheeler),” which was later a number one for Alabama. He also produced and performed in his own theater in North Carolina in 2007 and 2008. For decades, Randy has collaborated with his sister Dolly with multiple projects including a new Christmas song called “You are my Christmas” on Dolly’s Holly Dolly Christmas release in 2020.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in honor of Randy and their father Lee Parton be made to the Imagination Library. Information on how to donate can be made at imaginationlibrary.com