Rachel Ann George-Parton (formerly Dennison, née Parton; born August 31, 1959) is an American retired singer and actress and the youngest sister of entertainer

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Career

Parton was raised in the Church of God. She is the youngest of twelve children born to Avie Lee Caroline (née Owens; 1923–2003) and Robert Lee Parton Sr. (1921–2000). As well as Dolly Parton, her other celebrity siblings include older brother, entertainer

Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...

and sister

Stella Parton Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949) is an American country singer and songwriter widely known for a series of country singles that charted during the mid-to-late-1970s, her biggest hit being "I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight" in 1975. Sh ...

. As a child, she enjoyed wearing make-up and imitating her favorite stars. She later recalled, "I was the only girl in the first grade that routinely powdered and rouged my face." Dennison also remembered, "I never really wanted to be in show business. I just wanted to raise my kids and keep house, but I guess being in the business is just a 'family tradition'." She quit school after the eighth grade and toured the country with her family, often doing her elder sisters' make-up and occasionally singing backup. At age fifteen, she performed solo on stage for the first time. During her first performance, as she remembers, "right off I saw this new piano man (pianist Richard Dennison) and knew he was the fella for me." She and Dennison were married three years later. In 1982, Parton landed her first and only acting role in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television sitcom incarnation of '' 9 to 5''. Before the show premiered, she stated in a ''People'' magazine interview: "I'm sure people will compare me to Dolly—it's only human nature." Her role, as bombshell secretary Doralee Rhodes, had been originated by her older sister,

, in the hit 1980 theatrical film of the same name. ''9 to 5'' was shot before a live studio audience and co-starred

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

and

Valerie Curtin Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter. Personal life Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin ...

. The series had an impressive beginning in the ratings, but after a retooling (including the addition of

Leah Ayres Leah Ayres Kalish (born Leah Simpson; May 28, 1957) is an American actress, best known for her role as Janice Kent in the sports thriller '' Bloodsport'' and as Valerie Bryson on the daytime serial ''The Edge of Night''. Kalish is a Master Yoga T ...

to the cast), the series was canceled by ABC after 33 episodes in 1983. The sitcom proved popular in reruns, leading producers to revive it in first-run syndication in 1986.

Sally Struthers Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton) on ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Emm ...

joined the cast, and the sitcom's popularity revived, producing another 52 episodes before ending in 1988. Dennison never acted again after ''9 to 5'' was canceled in 1983. During the network run of the series, she and her fellow cast members appeared on an episode of ''

Battle of the Network Stars ''Battle of the Network Stars'' is a series of competitions in which television stars from ABC, CBS and NBC would compete in various sporting events. A total of 19 of these competitions were held between 1976 and 1988, all of which were aired b ...

'' in 1983. She performed alongside her sister in a 1987 episode of her sister's variety series '' Dolly''. Dennison's last appearance on camera was during an episode of ''Bravo Profiles'' titled "Dolly Parton: Diamond in a Rhinestone World" in 1999. Dennison has since retired from acting. Occasionally, she will sing with her siblings.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parton, Rachel 1959 births Living people American women singers American actresses People from Franklin, Tennessee 21st-century American women