Stella Parton reveals how 'emotional paralysis' helped her create music

Stella Parton recently got candid and talked about the pain of losing four brothers.

For those unaware, the 77-year-old American singer and songwriter lost Larry Parton as an infant in 1955 and three as an adult. Floyd died at 61 in December 2018, Randy Parton at 67 in 2021, and David Wilburn at 82 in November 2024.

In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, Stella opened up about the agony she had to experience after losing her siblings, admitting that suffering in adulthood helped her create music.

Articulating her thoughts, she said, “Growing up with so many siblings, we were very emotionally connected, and still are in a real emotional way. It’s a soul connection.”

“So, this whole thing was kind of like emotional paralysis for me in a strange sort of way. Grief has really been a writer’s block for me,” the Cross My Heart songstress added.

Despite experiencing writer’s block, Stella stated that the pain became a source of inspiration for her music once again.

Notably, she dropped a cover of Ben E. King’s Stand by Me and has plans to release a cover album as well.

“It says everything that Floyd and I had said to one another and had been through together. Music has always been therapy. It’s like a lifeblood. When you grow up in the songwriting family, that’s kind of what you do,” the Blanker on the Ground hitmaker explained.

It is pertinent to mention that Stella Parton will drop her cover album Nostalgia later in 2026.