Dolly Parton’s legacy will always be remembered, cherished and loved by her adoring fans.
Her family will ensure that generational pride will live on for many years to come.
Video above: Maine governor’s residence lit pink in honor of Dolly Parton
Danielle Parton, the country music legend’s niece, has been named the official brand ambassador of the Dolly Parton Estate, taking on a public-facing role in preserving her aunt’s legacy and helping carry forward the business empire she built.
In a video posted to Instagram on Oct. 23, Dolly, herself, introduces her niece.
“She loved us deeply, believed in big dreams, and she always encouraged me to find my way in this world,” Danielle said in the video. “For me, that path led to the sky.”
In a news release from Dolly Parton’s estate, the family said Danielle “embodies the quick wit, strong work ethic and independent spirit that have made her aunt, Dolly Parton, an enduring cultural icon.”
Danielle has lived quite the life. She was the first woman in the Parton family to earn a four-year college degree when she graduated from Belmont University in 1998. She worked her way up in the aviation industry, starting out as a flight attendant and then becoming a pilot.
She served 20 years in the Army National Guard.
During her military career, she flew C-130 and C-5 aircraft, completed combat deployments and earned the Combat Action Medal and Air Medal.
While she has certainly made the Parton family proud, she said she owes so much of her success to Dolly, whom she lovingly called “Aunt Granny.”
“I would never try to speak for Dolly, and I’m not crazy enough to try to fill her shoes. God knows I couldn’t walk on them without killing myself,” Danielle said. “What I can do is share the woman that I knew.”
Dolly and Danielle have shared some unfortunate news in their last moments together, as Danielle has recently opened up about her own cancer diagnosis.
Video below: Dolly Parton corn maze
Danielle said she told her aunt about her diagnosis weeks before Dolly died on Aug. 25 at age 80, reportedly from an unspecified cancer.
“She took it really heavy, and that’s how I figured out,” Danielle said in an interview with Extra.
While always taking inspiration from her aunt, Danielle has built her own brand. In 2022, she founded Shine Girl, a moonshine distillery and retail destination in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Danielle, 50, is the daughter of Bobby Lee Parton, Dolly’s younger brother, and Doris Maxine Noland. Her father is the fifth of 12th Parton children.
“Being a Parton means hard work, big dreams and never forgetting where you came from. I’m proud to be part of that legacy and to carry it on in my own way,” she posted on social media.
