Shining Brightly: The Multitalented Stella Parton
When your big sister is one of the most famous and successful entertainers in the world, it could be easy to live in her shadow. But Stella Parton has blazed her own trail, building an impressive legacy as a singer-songwriter, author, actress and more. Though she may not have achieved quite the same stratospheric fame as her sister Dolly, Stella has carved out a remarkable career showcasing her many talents over several decades.
At her core, Stella is a gifted musician who has released dozens of albums across multiple genres like country, bluegrass, gospel and pop. But she has also found success writing books – both memoirs and cookbooks – and has even appeared on reality television shows. It’s an amazingly diverse body of work that demonstrates Stella’s incredible versatility and creative drive.
“I’m a person with a lot of different interests and creative outlets,” Stella says. “Music will always be my first love, but I’m grateful to have been able to express myself through cooking, writing, acting and whatever else comes my way. I’ve never wanted to be put in a box and do just one thing.”
A Musical Heritage
Like her more famous sister, Stella was born into a musical family in the small town of Sevierville, Tennessee. Her mother Avie Lee was a talented singer, and the Parton children grew up singing in church and at home. Dolly once recalled how her parents “never could have dreamed” that two of their 12 children would go on to have hugely successful careers in entertainment.
Stella first began performing professionally as part of The Parton Sisters act with her younger sisters Dolly and Cassie in the 1950s and 60s. During those years on the road, the sisterly trios tight harmonies and energetic stage presence earned them many fans across the American Southeast. It was Stella’s first taste of life as a working musician.
“I always loved being on stage and the thrill of performing for an audience,” Stella recalls. “Watching my sister Dolly’s natural showmanship taught me so much about entertaining and connecting with people through music.”
Though Dolly’s meteoric rise as a solo singer took her away from the sisters’ act, Stella continued pursuing her own musical career. Her first solo album in 1975 was appropriately titled I Want to Hold You In My Dreams. She’s since released an incredible 36 more albums, showcasing her talents as a vocalist, songwriter and producer across a wide variety of styles.
From upbeat country tunes like “Danger Zone” to sultry pop melodies like “Adora-Bull” to inspirational gospel numbers like “Make the World Go Away,” Stella has defied genre boundaries throughout her prolific recording career. She’s earned success on the Billboard country and bluegrass charts while also garnering a loyal fanbase overseas, particularly in the UK.
“I’ve never wanted to be boxed into any one genre or style,” Stella explains. “My musical interests are just too diverse for that. If I’m inspired to write a certain kind of song, that’s what I’m going to record whether it fits into a genre label or not. Making music should be about artistic expression, not marketing.”
Sibling Harmonies
Family has always been hugely important to the Parton clan, so it was only natural that sisters Stella and Dolly would eventually join forces musically. In 2020, they released the song “Sisters” as a spiritual sequel to Dolly’s classic “Brother’s Keeper.” Over a jaunty, acoustic groove, the two sisters trade warm, conversational vocals about their lifelong bond:
“Sisters we’ll always be / Side by side, close as can be / Sharing a laugh or a memory…”
According to Stella, recording the duet with Dolly was a joyous experience that captured their “closeness and unconditional love” despite spending so much time apart due to their respective careers. “Any time I get to sing with Dolly, it takes me right back to our early days performing as the Parton Sisters,” she says. “Our voices still blend perfectly together.”
The enduring bond between Stella and Dolly comes through vividly not just on “Sisters,” but also in Stella’s writing. Her 2020 memoir Tell It Sister, Tell It catalogs her own fascinating life story while also paying tribute to the inspiration she took from growing up with her humble, hardworking family and, in particular, her eldest sister Willadeene who faced significant mental health struggles.
Penned in Stella’s warm, down-to-earth prose, the book is a touching look at the Partons’ bond and how their upbringing instilled a sense of family devotion, Christian faith and artistic fearlessness. “Mama showed us we could rise above any hardship through a positive spiritual attitude,” Stella writes about her mother. “Willadeene showed us all to have compassion, empathy, and patience.”
The Kitchen Crooner
But Stella’s creativity extends far beyond just music and writing. She’s also built an impressive second career as a chef and cookbook author, blending her twin loves of food and storytelling into a uniquely delicious body of work.
Inspired by her southern roots and the “meat and potatoes, gravy and biscuits” staples of her childhood, Stella’s culinary philosophy aims to celebrate the simple yet deeply comforting recipes found in kitchens and at church potlucks all across the American South.
Her 2021 cookbook Slice of Life: Food Stories from My Kitchen brought that homestyle cooking approach to life with over 100 recipes interspersed with Stella’s charming personal anecdotes and photographs depicting scenes straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
“A good meal isn’t just about eating,” Stella writes in the book’s introduction. “It’s about sharin’ stories, forgin’ memories, and nourishing that closeness between loved ones. I hope you’ll find a lil’ slice of that heapin’ helpin’ of Southern hospitality tucked into every one of these recipes.”
Dishes like Red Baked Chicken, Creamed Chip Beef, and Blackberry Poked Cake immediately transport you to a kitchen filled with the aromas of hearty, comfort foods made with love. But Stella also includes some fun, quirky recipes inspired by people and events from her colorful life. For example, Stella’s “Release Me” Onion Linguine is named for her own Billboard-charting song as well as a groan-worthy prank she played on her bus driver back in the day.
Whether she’s stuffing you full of down-home biscuits and gravy or regaling you with a wild showbiz story, Stella aims for her cookbooks to nourish both your body and soul. It’s an approach she’s honed while appearing at live cooking demonstrations, county fairs and on television shows like the UK’s Celebrity MasterChef, where her earthy charm shines through in the kitchen.
“Good food is all about community and bringing people together,” Stella says. “I love getting to share my favorite recipes with folks while entertainin’ them with a few good stories at the same time.”
A Celebrated Career
After decades of artistic output, Stella has amassed an incredible list of accomplishments, accolades and milestones. She continues recording and touring regularly, playing both her own headlining shows and appearing with the Dolly-inspired territories of the Dollywood theme park.
But Stella has also earned recognition far beyond the world of music and has become an inspirational, unifying figure who brings people together through her multifaceted talents. She’s the recipient of numerous philanthropic honors like the Diane Sawyer Humanitarian Award, the Dr. Bambi Tugman Humane Award, Parents Against Kids in Crime Award among many others.
More than anything though, Stella takes the most pride in how she’s been able to blaze her own unique trail, separate from the enormous shadow of her iconic sister. She’s forever grateful for the inspiration Dolly provided her, but Stella’s stunning body of work in so many creative fields truly stands on its own merits.
“Of course I’m proud of my big sister, but I’m even more proud of myself for having the gumption to chase my own dreams,” she says. “It wasn’t easy being from the same family as someone as legendary as Dolly Parton. But sticking to my own guns and doin’ things my own way helped me find my own spotlight.”
As Stella herself sang about so eloquently in her hit song “Better Get To Livin’”, she’s determined to keep experiencing everything life has to offer her instead of merely existing in someone’s shadow:
“Get off your butt and taste the flavor of the day / Better get to livin’, or you might just fade away…”
With her incredible drive, talents and compassionate spirit, there’s no chance of Stella Parton ever fading away. She’ll continue shining her own unique light for many years to come.