Stella Parton
* 04. Mai 1949 in Locust Ridge, Sevier County, Tennessee

Sängerin, Songschreiberin, Schauspielerin
Instr.: Gitarre, Autoharp
Stil : Pop-Country

Born in Sevierville, Tennessee, Parton is the sixth of twelve children born to father, Robert Lee Parton Sr. and mother, Avie Lee Caroline Owens. Her siblings are Willadeene Parton (a poet, b. 1940), David Wilburn Parton (b. 1942), Coy Denver Parton (b. 1943), Dolly Rebecca Parton (singer-songwriter and actress, b. 1946), Robert Lee Parton Jr (b. 1948), Cassie Nan Parton (singer, b. 1951), Randel Huston "Randy" Parton (a singer and businessman, b. 1953), Larry Gerald Parton (b. 1955, d. 1955), twins Floyd Parton (a singer-songwriter, b. 1957), Freida Estelle Parton (a singer, b. 1957), and Rachel Ann (née Parton) Dennison (an actress, b. 1959).^[1] Her sister Dolly Parton has stated in interviews that to her knowledge her father had strayed at least once or twice and fathered two other illegitimate children.

At seven, she and sister Dolly appeared on a local Knoxville, Tennessee television program and two years later, she made her debut on radio. During this time, Stella and her two other sisters, Willadeene and Cassie, formed a group that sang Gospel and commercial jingles around the eastern Tennessee area. During her high school years, Parton began writing songs. She subsequently married Marvin Carroll Rauhuff just prior to her high school graduation in 1966 and the union produced a son, Timothy C. Rauhoff, an attorney, born on November 25, 1968

In 1967, Parton released her first album, In The Garden (a gospel project with her sisters, Willadeene and Cassie and mother, Avie Lee). Shortly thereafter, she moved to Washington, DC and began performing country music at Hillbilly Heaven. Later moving to Nashville, she started her own record label, Soul, Country And Blues, in 1975 and released an album called I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight. Its title track was a substantial national hit, climbing into the country Top Ten, and landed her a major-label deal with Elektra in 1976. Her 1977 duet with Carmol Taylor, "Neon Woman," was somewhat successful, and she scored three Top 20 hits over 1977-1978 with "The Danger of a Stranger," "Four Little Letters," and "Standard Lie Number One"; she had an additional top-forty hit with her sister Dolly's composition "Steady as the Rain" in 1979. She recorded a total of three albums for Elektra through 1979. In 1984, Dolly starred in a movie Rhinestone, and Stella performed a song with Kin Vassy for the soundtrack.

After leaving Elektra, Stella recorded for several independent labels including Accord/Townhouse, Airborne and currently Raptor Records. To date, she has released 22 albums with 28 chart singles. Parton's discography includes: In The Garden, Stella And The Gospel Carrolls, I Want To Hold You In My Dreams, Country Sweet, Stella Parton, Love Ya, The Best Of Stella Parton, So Far, So Good, True To Me, Always Tomorrow, Favorites Vol. 1, Picture In A Frame, A Woman's Touch, Anthology, Appalachian Blues, Blue Heart, Appalachian Gospel, Favorites Vol. 2, Favorites Vol. 3, Songwriter Sessions, and Testimony.

In 1979, Parton starred in the Dukes of Hazzard episode titled "Deputy Dukes" as Mary Beth, a woman who impersonates a police officer in order to settle a family score with a prisoner who Bo and Luke end up transporting during a change of venue.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, she starred in several Broadway touring musicals including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Pump Boys & Dinettes, Best Little Whorehouse In Texas and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Parton also wrote and staged several Dollywood shows the opening season as well as appearing on The Dukes of Hazzard (the first country artist to have a dramatic role on the series), Regis, The Today Show and Good Morning America.

In 2006, Parton made appearances in two films, A Dance for Bethany and Ghost Town, both slated for release in 2007. Each film also includes Stella's music on the soundtrack. Also ready for release in 2007 is her 21st album which is a collection of original Contemporary Christian songs. Followed in 2008, was her twenty-second album, Testimony.

She devotes much of her time to causes like domestic violence and, typical of her hands on approach, teaches at the New Opportunity School for Women at Berea College, Kentucky, using her knowledge of hair and makeup to help women build self-esteem.

Parton has served as national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Christian Appalachian Project and National Honorary Country Music Ambassador to the American Cancer Society.