Freida Estelle Parton is an American singer and songwriter, mostly known for her 1984 album, Two Faced. Although she has a career of her own, she is also famously linked to her elder sister, Dolly Parton, who is also a renowned singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman.
Growing up, Frieda was part of a big family. Her parents, Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr., gave birth to 12 children in all but were able to raise 11 following the death of their son, Larry Gerald, who died a few days after his birth.
Who Is Freida Estelle Parton?
Frieda Estelle Parton was born on June 1, 1957, to Avie Lee Owens and Robert Lee Parton Sr. in East Tennessee, United States. She is currently 67 years old.
Estelle was one of the twelve children of her parents, and she had a twin brother named Floyd Estel Parton, who is now late.
She had her early education in Tennessee, where she attended Pittman Center Elementary in Gatlinburg. However, it has been reported that completing her education became herculean due to financial constraints.
Moreover, Frieda got minor jobs to aid her parents financially and support her younger ones in her early days. When she turned thirteen, she moved from her home in East Tennessee to Nashville and lived with her elder sister Dolly, who was struggling at the time to make her career in music.
Following in the footsteps of her sister, Freida also started her career in 1980, when she signed with Bearsville and began working on her debut album. Unfortunately, her first album, Two Faced, was released in 1984 but did not perform as expected because it flopped on the charts.
Meet Her Parents
As earlier mentioned, Avie Lee Owens and Robert Lee Parton are Freida’s parents. They are known to have played a significant role in shaping her life and career.
Her mother, Avie Lee Owens, was born in Tennessee in 1923, and she had a difficult upbringing. Despite that, Frieda’s mother, who was a preacher’s kid, was a kind and caring person, known for her beautiful singing voice. She married Robert Lee Parton Sr. in 1939, and the couple went on to have twelve children together.
Moreover, Estelle’s father, Robert Lee Parton Sr., was a hardworking man who provided for his family by working various jobs, including farming, construction, and carpentry. He was also known for his musical talent and would often play the guitar and sing with his family. Parton Sr. was deeply religious, and his faith played a significant role in his family’s life.
Tragically, Estelle’s father, Robert Lee Parton Sr., passed away in 2000 at the age of 79, following a stroke. Also in 2003, her mother, Avie Lee, passed away at the age of 80 after a long battle with cancer.
All About Estelle’s Brothers and Sisters, You Should Know
Parton and her siblings were all raised under the same roof. She has six brothers and 5 sisters, although some of them have passed on. Her siblings are:
Willadeen Parton (born March 24, 1940)
Willadeen is the eldest of the Parton siblings. She had a stint in gospel music before settling for a writing career. She is an author and is recognized for her book Smoky Mountains Memories: Stories from the Hearts of The Parton Family (1996).
David Wilburn Parton (born March 30, 1942)
David is the second eldest and one of the most reserved siblings in the family Parton. Despite Frieda and Dolly’s fame in the family, he has tried to keep himself away from the public.
Coy Denver Parton (born August 16, 1943) and Robert Lee Jr. (born Febraury 18 1948)
These are also older siblings of Frieda who have been away from the spotlight. As a result of this, just a little is known about them. However, Bobby Lee is married to Doris Maxine Noland and has five children with her. Also, Coy has two daughters from his marriage to Carolyn.
Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946)
Dolly Parton is the most famous, successful, and influential sibling of Estelle. She is a famous singer, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. Also, Dolly has been Frieda’s motivation to pursue a music career.
Dolly has won 11 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime award in 2011, 51 Grammy Awards, and other notable awards and recognition.
Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949)
Stella is also a singer and songwriter. She started singing gospel songs alongside her sisters from an early age. She officially started her singing career in 1967 and has so far released several songs. Aside from singing, she is also an actress, who has appeared in TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), and has appeared in several Broadway touring musicals.
Cassie Nan Parton (born February 12, 1951)
Cassie is the seventh child of the family and older than Estelle by six years. Cassie was part of the quartet gospel group formed by the sisters. She has also been part of the Dollywood show in 2013.
Randel Huston Parton (born December 15, 1953)
Popularly Known as ‘Randy’ Randel was a singer-songwriter and actor who started his career in the 1970s performing in clubs throughout the United States. He released albums like Shot Full of Love (1981) and Too Much Water (1984) and he also appeared in several TV shows and movies like Parton In Rhinestones (1984) and The Queens of Country (2009). Randle passed away on January 21, 2021, at the age of 67 after a battle with cancer.
Larry Gerald (born July 1955)
Larry was one of Frieda’s elder brothers who died Four days after his birth at Tennesee.
Floyd Estel Parton (born June 1, 1957)
Frieda’s twin, Floyd was a singer-songwriter but he is mostly known for his songwriting. He has written songs for artists like Randy Travis, Dolly, and Ricky Skaggs. In addition to songwriting, he played a variety of instruments including the guitar and keyboards. Sadly he passed away on December 6, 2018, at the age of 61.
Rachel Ann Parton – Dennison (born August 31, 1959)
Rachel Ann is the youngest of Freida’s siblings. She also followed her sibling’s path in singing and acting, making her debut in 1982. She is known for her role in 9 to 5 (1982) an ABC TV sitcom, Battle of The New Stars (1983), and Dolly Parton: Diamond in a Rhinestone World (1999).
Frieda Had Her Music Debut In The Early 1980s
Born into a gifted family, Frieda began her professional career in 1980 when she got signed to Bearsville. Her 1984 Two-Faced Album gained her recognition after its release, but it later flopped on the charts.
In 1986, she began to work with her sister, Stella Mae, with whom she had stage shows. She also continued to pursue her career as a singer and songwriter and released several songs in the coming years.
She had a string of successful singles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Despite the ups and downs in her personal life, Frieda has remained a beloved figure in the country music scene.
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All You Should Know About Her Love Life
According to several reports, the singer has been married three times. However, Jukebugs has garnered the fact that she has been married twice. First to Paul Lester Overstreet and Mark Anderson.
Frieda and Paul Lester Overstreet met in Nashville in the 1970s, where Paul worked as a welder and played music at the country’s club scene. Moreover, Parton, who performed occasionally at clubs’ houses, started a relationship with Paul that led to their marriage. Sadly, the union did not last long.
Shortly after her divorce, she got married to Mark Anderson, an instrumentalist who belonged to Dolly’s backup band. The exact time their relationship started is unknown at the time of the writing, but for certain, it was in the 1970s. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Juda Star Anderson, on April 4, 1979.
Just like in the case of her last marriage, her union with Andersen didn’t last long, and the reason for the divorce is not entirely clear. Nonetheless, some reports allege that her marriage failed as a result of her negative media perception.
Her Daughter is also a Singer
Jada Star is a 45-year-old singer who has released her debut album with a friend of hers, known as Barry. As the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Jada was greatly influenced by her maternal family, who encouraged her to pursue her passion for singing.
Moreover, Star is married and is a mother of one, making Estelle a grandmother at the moment.
5 Quick Facts About Frieda Estelle Parton
1. She struggled with drug addiction and a chronic back injury in her early career days.
2. ASCAP record label signed Frieda, her twin, and Rachel Ann for songwriting in the 1980s.
3. Parton earned a spot in Playboy Magazine, where she was featured on Women in Rock.
4. Estelle was in a controversy with her girlfriend, Ashely Daffin who stole money from her family inheritance to fund her lavish lifestyle with her.
5. She is an ordained minister who performs wedding ceremonies for anyone wanting to get married. Also, she owns a wedding chapel in Servielle known as Parton Family Wedding Chapel and Antiques.
