Dolly Parton Sang Brother Floyd’s Song ‘Rockin Years’ at His Funeral

Dolly Parton‘s brother Floyd Parton passed away at the age of 61 on Thursday, Dec. 6, and Floyd’s friends and family celebrated Floyd at a funeral on Monday, Dec. 10.

After Floyd’s death, Dolly shared a message to fans from her family on social media on Tuesday evening, revealing that she and her family had sung one of Floyd’s songs at his funeral.

“Dolly, and the entire Parton Family, wish to thank everyone for their kindness,” family said in the statement. “Yesterday, we laid our sweet baby brother to rest. We all sang his lovely song, ‘Rockin’ Years,’ together as a family at the service to say goodbye to him. He lived a short life of love and beautiful songs.”

The statement also invited fans to donate to the My People Senior Activity Center in Sevierville, Tennessee in lieu of flowers.

Floyd wrote a number of songs with his famous sister, including “Rockin’ Years,” which was released in 1991 and was performed by Dolly and Ricky Van Shelton. Floyd also had a huge success with 1978’s “Nickels and Dimes” from Parton’s chart-topping album Heartbreaker.

Floyd’s obituary was listed on Tennessee’s Atchley Funeral Home website and described him as “a talented songwriter and composer.”

“A renaissance man, Floyd was a man of many talents and areas of knowledge,” the obituary read. “He was an avid outdoorsman and had an abundant knowledge of nature as well as being an incredible cook.”

In addition to Dolly, Floyd is survived by sisters Willadeene, 78, Stella, 69, Cassie, 67, his twin, Freida, 61, and Rachel, 59 along with brothers David, 76, Coy Denver, 75, Bobby, 70, and Randy, 64. The siblings’ brother Larry died four days after his birth in 1955.

The entire Parton family has been musical since they were young, with Rachel previously telling PEOPLE that “singing was like breathing at home.”

Floyd’s cause of death has not been released.

On the day of Floyd’s death, Stella Parton tweeted that she was spending the day with her younger brother.

“Have a beautiful day on this bright and brisk Thursday. I am spending the day with my beautiful brother Floyd,” she wrote alongside a throwback photo of the pair.

Photo Credit: Getty / Ron Galella