Last year, Dolly Parton's Las Vegas residency had to be put on hold while she dealt with several private health issues.
Her sister, Freida, accidentally caused a stir when asking online for prayers for Dolly while she got her health sorted out. The singer came online and said that she was fine, responsibly addressing her health concerns, and would follow through with her residency soon, setting everyone's minds at ease.
Now, Parton has made the tough decision to officially cancel her Las Vegas residency due to her persistent health issues and her need to address them further.
With her usual bubbly personality, Parton explained:
"I am here to give you an update on a few things going on in my life, [and] it's concerning my health."
"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."
“Now, the bad news is that 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 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, and you know that I'm going to be wearing them!"
For the rest of the announcement, Parton referred to herself as a classic car that needed to—but could!—be fixed.
"Just think of me as, like, an old classic car that, once restored, can be better than ever."
"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, and my muffler's busted."
"My shocks and pistons need to be replaced."
"And for sure, my spark plugs need to be changed, because you know as well as I know that I can't lose my spark!"
"But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple or three years, and they're working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those."
You can watch the video announcement here:
After Parton's husband, Carl, passed away on March 3, 2025, Parton realized that she'd been dedicating most of her time to Carl's care and comfort, in addition to promoting her business, and had let her own health slide.
When she finally took the time to see the doctor for what she thought would be a routine check-up, they discovered multiple concerns that needed to be addressed, and while everything is treatable, it's enough of a concern for her to step down from the stage for a little while.
Fellow Instagrammers encouraged Parton to take her time and prioritize her health and happiness.
@dollyparton/Instagram
@dollyparton/Instagram
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Parton seems confident about her health plan and the fact that she is responding well to various medications and treatments.
The singer fully expects to continue making videos and appearances at Dollywood and on Broadway in New York for the time being, and she expects to return to the stage once her health has been returned to standard maintenance mode!
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