Remembering Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton: The Parents Who Shaped Dolly Parton’s Life and Legacy
Before Dolly Parton became a global icon, she was simply one of 12 children raised in a humble two-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee by her devoted parents, Robert Lee “Lee” Parton and Avie Lee Parton. Their story is one of enduring love, hard work, and resilience — qualities they instilled in their children and that continue to inspire Dolly’s life and work today.
Lee was born on March 22, 1921, in Sevierville, Tennessee, and Avie Lee was born on October 5, 1923, in Lockhart, South Carolina. The couple married in 1939 when Lee was just 17 and Avie Lee 15. Life was far from easy. Lee worked as a sharecropper and took construction jobs to provide for the family, while Avie Lee dedicated herself to raising their children and managing the household. Together, they built a family rooted in love, faith, and determination despite financial hardship.
The Partons’ financial struggles were no secret, yet Dolly has often said she never felt poor. “We didn’t have any money, but we were rich in things that money don’t buy — like love and kindness and understanding,” she told Today in 2015. That spirit of gratitude and optimism was central to their family life. One cherished memory Dolly recounted was the Christmas when all the children agreed to forgo presents so Lee could buy Avie Lee her first wedding ring. Dolly, then about eight or ten years old, recalled it as one of their happiest Christmases — not because of what they received, but because of the joy they brought to their mother.
Lee and Avie Lee had 12 children: Willadeene, David, Dolly, Robert Jr., Stella, Cassie, Randy, Larry, twins Floyd and Freida, and Rachel. Tragically, their ninth child, Larry, died just four days after birth in 1955. Dolly has spoken of the deep bond she felt with him, as her mother had told her he would be “her baby” to care for. His loss, when Dolly was just nine, brought her “a lot of heartache” but also shaped her understanding of love, loss, and resilience.
Faith and music filled the Parton household. Avie Lee, who loved to sing, passed down her musical talent to her children, while Lee inspired Dolly’s strong work ethic. Music was a constant presence, with radio tunes and family harmonies echoing through the home. That foundation laid the groundwork for Dolly’s legendary career and her deep connection to her roots.
Even after achieving international fame, Dolly has found ways to honor her parents’ legacy. Her father inspired her nonprofit Imagination Library, which has distributed more than 200 million books to children worldwide. Both Lee and Avie Lee are remembered at Dollywood, the theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where their influence is woven into attractions and tributes that celebrate Appalachian culture and values.
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Lee Parton passed away in 2000, and Avie Lee followed in 2003. Yet their spirit lives on not only in Dolly’s music and philanthropy but also in the enduring lessons they imparted: that family is the greatest wealth, that kindness is never wasted, and that love can thrive even in the humblest of homes.
For Dolly Parton, the world may know her as a superstar, but the values instilled by Lee and Avie Lee Parton remain at the heart of who she is — proof that the truest riches come from the people who raise and shape us.