Randle Huston Parton (December 15, 1953 – January 21, 2021) was an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer-songwriter, actor, and businessman.
Life, career and death
Randy Parton was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, the eighth of twelve children
born to Avie Lee Caroline (née Owens; 1923–2003) and Robert Lee Parton Sr. (1921–2000). He was a younger brother of singer-songwriters
Dolly and
Stella Parton
Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949) is an American Country music, 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 Tonig ...
and an older brother of former actress
Rachel Parton George
Rachel Ann Parton George (formerly Dennison, née Parton; born August 31, 1959) is an American singer and actress and the youngest sibling of entertainer Dolly Parton.
Career
Parton was raised in the Church of God. She is the youngest of twel ...
.
Parton was the first person to record the song "
Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)
"Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" is a song written by Dave Loggins, and recorded by American country music band Alabama. It was released in January 1984 as the first single and title track to the band's album '' Roll On''. It was the group's 12th str ...
" in 1982. Two years later, in 1984, the band
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
recorded it, and became the group's 12th straight No. 1 single. Also in 1984, Parton sang a song for the ''
Rhinestone
A rhinestone, paste or diamanté ( , ) is a diamond simulant originally made from rock crystal but since the 19th century from crystal glass or polymers such as acrylic.
Origins
Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from t ...
'' soundtrack; his sister Dolly starred in the film. He also played bass for his sister.
Parton is also known for the theater that once bore his name in
Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
Roanoke Rapids () is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,229 at the 2020 census and is the largest community in Halifax County. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical ...
. In 2007, he signed a deal worth over $1.5 million yearly to manage and perform in a new theater bearing his name in the
Carolina Crossroads Carolina Crossroads is a entertainment development project owned by Carida Capital Group LLC located in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina located near the intersection of I-95 and US 158.
The development was planned in the early 2000s and a contract ...
entertainment and shopping complex.
The relationship between Parton and the city soured as the theater struggled to attract customers and questions arose concerning Parton's use of a nearly $3 million fund for personal travel and entertainment. Parton was also questioned by city leaders for unauthorized events held at the theater including a wedding reception for his daughter along with details about who would be marketing the theater. Throughout the controversy, Parton maintained that his actions were within the contract and that the theater would be successful given time. Parton's contract with the city was terminated on January 8, 2008, and the theater was renamed the Roanoke Rapids Theater. The city took over the theater and in July 2012 voted to allow
electronic gambling to help pay expenses and possibly attract a buyer.
[
Randy Parton died of cancer on January 21, 2021, at age 67.]
Discography
Albums
Singles
Other album appearances
Notes
:1.Parton provided backing vocals on this track.
References
External links
*
*
Entry at 45cat.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parton, Randy
1953 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American country singer-songwriters
American male film actors
American Pentecostals
Christians from Tennessee
People from Sevierville, Tennessee
Singer-songwriters from Tennessee
Deaths from cancer in North Carolina
American male singer-songwriters
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, Randolph, and Miranda, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them.
'' Randi'' is approximat ...