Dolly Parton has been making waves on social media these days, thanks to her public support of the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 vaccines. But did you know that she’s not the only outspoken member of her family? Singer-songwriter Stella Parton has also turned to Twitter to vent about the current political climate. Learn more about Dolly Parton’s sister and find out where the bold blonde stands on issues of the day.
Stella Parton Is One Of Dolly Parton’s Five Sisters
Stella Mae Parton, younger sister of Dolly Parton, was born on May 4, 1949 in Sevierville, Tennessee. But her big sis isn’t her only sibling—the Partons come from a family of 12 children. Her other sisters are singers Cassie, Frieda, and Rachel, and Parton family biographer Willadeene.
Stella has been married three times. Her second marriage, to Marvin Carroll Rauhoff, produced one child, Timothy C. Rauhoff (born in 1968). However, she has been single since her last divorce in 1991.
Just like Dolly, Stella uses her name recognition to help others. In 2011, she released her memoir Tell It Sister, Tell It: Memories, Music and Miracles.
“I realized my faith is the one thing that kept me strong throughout my life,” she said. “I want to share and inspire other women. I want my book to be a message of hope to other single women struggling to raise their children that may have been victims of domestic violence.”
A portion of the proceeds from the book sales was donated to domestic violence shelters throughout the Southeast U.S. At the local level, Stella donates time and resources to benefit the New Opportunity School for Women at Berea College. On a larger scale, she has served as a representative of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the American Cancer Society.
Stella is also a force in the kitchen. She is the author of three cookbooks, and in 2018, was a competitor on the BBC series Celebrity MasterChef. “To me, the kitchen has always been a place of therapy, and I think of it as a place to zone out and create something nourishing and to lay on a celebration for people I love,” she told the Irish News.
Stella Parton Is Also A Successful Country Singer
It should come as no surprise that Stella’s first love is music. A self-described “country music maverick,” she has released a total of 39 albums. The first, In The Garden, was a gospel project with Willadeene, Cassie, and their mother, Avie Lee. I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight, her first solo album, was released in 1975, and the title track became a Top Ten country hit.
Her success led to a major label deal with Elektra, but since 1980, she has released music through various independent labels. Most recently, she served as a consultant for Dolly’s 2015 TV biopic Coat of Many Colors. Watch Stella sing the title song in this live performance:
Stella Parton Has Built Up Quite An Impressive Net Worth
Stella’s hard work has paid off handsomely. Between music, books, and her own consulting company for emerging entertainers, she is not short on income sources. Her net worth is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $10 million. It might not compare to Dolly’s $600 million figure, but it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.
Stella Parton Isn’t Afraid To Say What’s On Her Mind
One particular topic of interest is COVID-19. It is well-known that in April 2020, her sister Dolly donated $1 million Vanderbilt University’s coronavirus research. By November, she learned that the money funded Moderna’s vaccine.
Dolly, who normally stays out of politics, expressed joy and optimism over the news. “I’m just happy that anything I do can help somebody else, and when I donated the money to the COVID fund, I just wanted it to do good,” she told NBC’s Today. “Evidently, it is. Let’s just hope we find a cure real soon.”
But Stella, who is enraged that her sister seems to have done more than the politicians who were elected to serve us, provided an unfiltered take on Twitter:
And she didn’t stop there. As a woman of Christian faith, she pointed out another observation. “I haven’t heard of one Televangelist donating one damn cent to the research fund but they sure can fleece the flock and try to cast out demons when they are possessed themselves!” she wrote.
Country music fans looking for an unexpected breath of fresh air would get a kick out of following her on Twitter. Stella is definitely the brassier Parton sister, and she shows no signs of toning it down anytime soon.