Dolly Parton Shares Health Update and Future Plans
Dolly Parton, the 80-year-old country legend, has shared an update on her health following the cancellation of her six-date residency, Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum. The iconic singer, known for her 28.8 million social media followers, revealed that she has long struggled with kidney stones but has faced more recent challenges with her immune and digestive systems over the past three years.
“The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,” Parton said. “Now, the bad news is, it’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit ‘swimmy headed’ as my grandma used to say.”
Parton, who is just one award away from achieving EGOT status, admitted she still has some healing to do but expressed confidence in her medical team. “I’m doing really well and they assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I’m going with that.”
Despite the health challenges, Parton remains active and continues to work on various projects. She promoted her Pigeon Forge theme park, Dollywood, as well as an upcoming Nashville museum/hotel and her Broadway musical, DOLLY: A True Original Musical, which she is reworking ahead of its fall/winter opening.
“I am still working. I still do videos, I still record,” Parton emphasized. “Oh I know what you’re thinking, ‘Lord, sick or well, that girl’s always promoting something!’ Well that’s true, but that’s how you get it done.”
Parton also took a moment to express gratitude to her fans for their support following the passing of her husband, Carl Dean, in 2025. The couple had been married for nearly 59 years, and Parton shared how the loss affected her deeply.
“After going through a year of firsts – I mean the holidays, and especially on our wedding anniversary, and the day of his death March 3, you know, that was hard for me,” she said. “But I will always love him and I’ll always miss him. But you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time.”
Parton described how the outpouring of support from fans helped her heal. “My house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers. And my den looked like the post office with all the cards and letters. So, yes, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. You have been a big part of my healing.”
In addition to her personal life, Parton continues to make a significant impact through her philanthropy. Last month, she made a massive donation to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, TN, leading to the facility being renamed Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
Parton, who has 16.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, has sold over 100 million records and holds 10 Guinness World Records. Her contributions to entertainment and humanitarian efforts have earned her numerous accolades, including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
