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‘Our sweet baby brother’: Dolly Parton’s moving tribute to brother Floyd

Dec 12, 2018

Freida Parton, Dolly and Floyd together. Source: Getty.

Dolly Parton has paid a moving tribute to her “sweet baby brother” after her family gathered to pay a final farewell following his death at the age of 61.

Floyd, a talented musician who helped write some of his famous sister’s hit songs, sadly passed away on December 6, according to Tennessee’s Atchley Funeral Home.

Now, Dolly, 72, has revealed her family all joined forces to sing one of his top songs, ‘Rocking Years’, at a private memorial service in Tennessee on Monday.

“Dolly, and the entire Parton Family, wish to thank everyone for their kindness,” the statement, which was shared on Dolly’s Instagram page, read. “Yesterday, we laid our sweet baby brother to rest. We all sang his lovely song, ‘Rockin’ Years’, together as a family at the service to say goodbye to him. He lived a short life of love and beautiful songs.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrQ_qVGA3G2/

The family then urged anyone who wished to honour him to make a donation to the My People Senior Activity Center in Sevierville, Tennessee.

Fans shared loving comments to Dolly and the family, with one writing alongside the post: “So very, very sorry for you and your family’s loss. Lifting you all in prayer for comfort and peace,” while another added: “What a tough loss. I’m so very sorry. Love and prayer from Canada.”

And one wrote: “Much love and sincere prayers your way for you and your family.”

Two of Floyd’s most famous songs include ‘Rocking Years’, which was originally recorded by his sister Dolly and Ricky Van Shelton, and ‘Nickels and Dimes’, also recorded by Dolly and then later by George Burns.

An obituary on the funeral home’s website praised Floyd as a “renaissance man” with much talent, adding: “He was an avid outdoorsman and had an abundant knowledge of nature as well as being an incredible cook.”

“And Jesus said to him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”
Have a beautiful day on this bright and brisk Thursday. I am spending the day with my beautiful brother Floyd. pic.twitter.com/TTNlZg54YC

— Stella Parton (@StellaParton) December 6, 2018

One of Floyd’s other sisters Stella, who is also a talented musician, took to social media the day after his death, leaving a touching message for her followers.

“And Jesus said to him, receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee,” she wrote on Twitter. “Have a beautiful day on this bright and brisk Thursday. I am spending the day with my beautiful brother Floyd.”

Floyd leaves behind his siblings Dolly, Rachel, Willadeene, 78, Stella, 69, Cassie, 67, and Freida, 61, as well as brothers David, 76, Coy Denver, 75, Bobby, 70, and Randy, 64, along with several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.