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Dolly Parton's family tree: one of twelve children.

Dolly Parton was born on 19 January 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee, the daughter of Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Caroline Owens, and died on 25 August 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, at 80. She married Carl Thomas Dean. Her living brothers and sisters are not shown here. The FamilySearch Family Tree has her as Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Dolly Rebecca Parton, born in Pittman Center, TennesseeDolly Rebecca Parton1946–2026Robert Lee Parton, born in Sevierville, TennesseeRobert Lee Parton1921–2000Avie Lee Caroline Owens, born in Lockhart, South CarolinaAvie Lee Caroline Owens1923–2003William Walter Parton, born in Sevier, TennesseeWilliam Walter Parton1888–1982Bessie Elizabeth Rayfield, born in Sevierville, TennesseeBessie Elizabeth Rayfie…1898–1975Jacob Robert Owens, born in Waynesville, North CarolinaJacob Robert Owens1899–1992Rena Kansas Valentine, born in Sevier, TennesseeRena Kansas Valentine1902–1968Albert Houston Parton, born in Sevier, TennesseeAlbert Houston Parton1864–1929Tennesee Smith Russell, born in Fines Creek, North CarolinaTennesee Smith Russell1870–1960George Washington Rayfield, born in Sevier, TennesseeGeorge Washington Rayfi…1855–1941Cassandra Ann Moore, born in Gatlinburg, TennesseeCassandra Ann Moore1860–1934James Robert Owens, born in Haywood, North CarolinaJames Robert Owens1877–1940Mary Melinda Messer, born in Waynesville, North CarolinaMary Melinda Messer1880–1958Henry Lloyd Valentine, born in Sevierville, TennesseeHenry Lloyd Valentine1874–1947Margaret Louisa Whitted, born in Sevierville, TennesseeMargaret Louisa Whitted1880–1960Benjamin Chrisenberry Parton, born in Cocke, TennesseeBenjamin Chrisenberry P…1832–1916Margaret Jane Evans, born in Sevier, TennesseeMargaret Jane Evans1837–1915Lorenzo Dow Russell, born in Haywood, North CarolinaLorenzo Dow Russell1825–1900Hannah Ellie Downs, born in Fines Creek, North CarolinaHannah Ellie Downs1825–1899Charles Rayfield, born in Lincoln, North CarolinaCharles Rayfield1825–1891Elizabeth Bohanan, born in Sevier County, TennesseeElizabeth Bohanan1826–1925Andrew James Moore, born in Buncombe, North CarolinaAndrew James Moore1817–1860Mary Rachel Metcalf, born in Tennessee, United StatesMary Rachel Metcalf1831–1893Samuel Paxton Owen, born in Haywood, North CarolinaSamuel Paxton Owen1836–1888Anna Elvina Sutton, born in Haywood, North CarolinaAnna Elvina Sutton1859–?Isaac Hugh Messer, born in Haywood, North CarolinaIsaac Hugh Messer1847–1939Hannah Harriett Jane Conard, born in Haywood, North CarolinaHannah Harriett Jane Co…1849–1896William R. Valentine, born in Cosby, TennesseeWilliam R. Valentine1854–1939Sarah Elizabeth Dixon, born in Jones Cove, TennesseeSarah Elizabeth Dixon1858–1914William Jesse Whitted, born in Sevier, TennesseeWilliam Jesse Whitted1858–1934Rebecca Dunn, born in Tennessee, United StatesRebecca Dunn1861–1930
Five generations, as the FamilySearch Family Tree has them: 30 of the 30 places filled. Each name opens that person's page on FamilySearch.
Dolly Rebecca Parton, born in Pittman Center, TennesseeDolly Rebecca…1946–2026Robert Lee Parton, born in Sevierville, TennesseeRobert Lee Pa…1921–2000Avie Lee Caroline Owens, born in Lockhart, South CarolinaAvie Lee Caro…1923–2003William Walter Parton, born in Sevier, TennesseeWilliam Walte…1888–1982Bessie Elizabeth Rayfield, born in Sevierville, TennesseeBessie Elizab…1898–1975Jacob Robert Owens, born in Waynesville, North CarolinaJacob Robert …1899–1992Rena Kansas Valentine, born in Sevier, TennesseeRena Kansas V…1902–1968
Three generations, as the FamilySearch Family Tree has them: 6 of the 6 places filled. Each name opens that person's page on FamilySearch.

Questions people ask.

When and where was Dolly Parton born?
Dolly Parton was born on 19 January 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee.
When did Dolly Parton die?
Dolly Parton died on 25 August 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, at 80.
Who were Dolly Parton's parents?
Her parents were Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Caroline Owens.
Who was Dolly Parton married to?
She married Carl Thomas Dean.
Did Dolly Parton have children?
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean had no children. They married in 1966 and were married for nearly sixty years, until his death in 2025.
Did Dolly Parton have brothers and sisters?
The tree holds 5 who have died: David Wilburn Parton, Coy Denver Parton, Randle Huston Parton, Larry Gerald Parton and Floyd Estel Parton.

Dolly Parton's family, year by year.

  1. 1946Pittman Center, TennesseeOn 19 January 1946, Dolly Parton is born to Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Caroline Owens.
  2. 1955Knoxville, TennesseeOn 6 July 1955, her brother Larry Gerald Parton dies. She is 9.
  3. 2000Knoxville, TennesseeOn 12 November 2000, her father, Robert Lee Parton, dies. She is 54.
  4. 2003Sevierville, TennesseeOn 5 December 2003, her mother, Avie Lee Caroline Owens, dies. She is 57.
  5. 2018Sevierville, TennesseeOn 6 December 2018, her brother Floyd Estel Parton dies. She is 72.
  6. 2021Roanoke Rapids Township, North CarolinaOn 21 January 2021, her brother Randle Huston Parton dies. She is 75.
  7. 2024White Pine, TennesseeOn 15 November 2024, her brother David Wilburn Parton dies. She is 78.
  8. 2025Nashville, TennesseeOn 3 March 2025, her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, dies at 82.
  9. 2026Sevierville, TennesseeOn 23 July 2026, her brother Coy Denver Parton dies. She is 80.
  10. 2026Nashville, TennesseeOn 25 August 2026, Dolly Parton dies at 80.

Children.

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean had no children. They married in 1966 and were married for nearly sixty years, until his death in 2025.

Where the lines came from.

Up her father's line: Robert Lee Parton, her father, born 1921 in Sevierville, Tennessee; William Walter Parton, her grandfather, born 1888 in Sevier, Tennessee; Albert Houston Parton, her great-grandfather, born 1864 in Sevier, Tennessee; Benjamin Chrisenberry Parton, her 2nd great-grandfather, born 1832 in Cocke, Tennessee; Benjamin Christopher Parton, her 3rd great-grandfather, born 1796 in Burke, North Carolina; John Benjamin Parten, her 4th great-grandfather, born 1769 in Virginia, British Colonial America; John Benjamin Parten, her 5th great-grandfather, born 1750 in North Carolina, United States; Charles Partin, her 6th great-grandfather, born 1733 in Albemarle Parish, Virginia.

Up her mother's line: Avie Lee Caroline Owens, her mother, born 1923 in Lockhart, South Carolina; Jacob Robert Owens, her grandfather, born 1899 in Waynesville, North Carolina; James Robert Owens, her great-grandfather, born 1877 in Haywood, North Carolina; Samuel Paxton Owen, her 2nd great-grandfather, born 1836 in Haywood, North Carolina; Jacob J Owens, her 3rd great-grandfather, born 1806 in Greenville Twp, South Carolina; George Owen, her 4th great-grandfather, born 1774 in Greenville, South Carolina; Thomas Owen, her 5th great-grandfather, born 1755 in Henrico, Virginia; John Owen, her 6th great-grandfather.

The whole family we downloaded from the FamilySearch Family Tree on 9 November 2026 holds 33,733 people, born over 10 centuries, most of them in England (13,726), America (9,612), Wales (1,022) and Germany (963). Anyone who may still be living was taken out. On her father's side it goes back 33 generations, to Iestyn ap Gwrgan, born 1014 in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire; on her mother's, 35 generations, to Iestyn ap Gwrgan, born 1014 in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Lines this far back in the FamilySearch Family Tree are built by many contributors, and not every step is proven. Each name opens that person's page on FamilySearch, with its sources: check a step there, and correct it if you know better.

What history says.

Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at 80. "After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said in a statement.AP News, 25 August 2026
"Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82," her statement said. The couple married in 1966 and had no children.AP News, 3 March 2025
The FamilySearch Family Tree's own note on her mother, Avie Lee Owens Parton: "She had 12 children including country music star Dolly Parton. Like her children, she was also known to sing and play guitar." Six of the twelve, Dolly among them, have died and are in the tree here; the others are living.FamilySearch Family Tree, Avie Lee Caroline Owens (LTWJ-ZWV)

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More family stories.

From the FamilySearch Family Tree, read on 9 November 2026: 33,733 people around Dolly Parton, up to eight generations back and two down. Thanks to everyone who has added to it. The tree is its contributors' work; where it and history differ, this page says so and names the source. Everyone named on this page has died.