Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer and actress, has temporarily suspended her Las Vegas residency due to ongoing health challenges. At 80 years old, she recently shared a rare update on Instagram, where she addressed both positive and difficult news in her life.
“I am here to give you an update on a few things going on in my life,” Parton began. “And I have some good news and a little bad news. The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day.”
However, the “Jolene” singer admitted that her recovery process will take time. “It’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level,” she said. “Some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say. And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels.”
Parton humorously compared herself to a vintage car, saying, “that once restored, can be better than ever.” But she added, “But when they raised the hood on this old antique, they realized that I need to rebuild my engine and that my transmission is slipping, my oil pan is leaking, my muffler is busted and my shocks and pistons need to be replaced, and for sure, my spark plugs need to be changed. I know I’m still crazy, but they didn’t mention anything about my mental health.”
She also revealed that her immune and digestive systems have been affected over the past few years. “My body is working real hard on rebuilding its strength,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll be up to snuff again soon.”
Despite canceling her Las Vegas shows for now, Parton remains active in other creative endeavors. She plans to continue recording videos and making appearances at Dollywood, her theme park in Tennessee. Additionally, she mentioned that she is “working hard on getting my museum and my hotel open in Nashville later this year” and “spending a lot of time writing and reworking” her Broadway musical, Dolly: A True Original Musical.
Parton’s Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace was initially scheduled for December 2025 but was postponed due to health issues. The new dates are set for September 2026.
“I am truly sorry that I’m going to miss all of you that had tickets to see me in Las Vegas,” she said. “Thank you for standing by me and showing me so much love and support over the past year. I’ve still got some healing to do, but I am on my way!”
