Dolly Parton is pushing forward with a Broadway musical, a Nashville hotel, and new business ventures even as recurring health problems have forced her to cancel a Las Vegas residency and skip appearances at her own theme park.
The 80-year-old entertainer told People magazine she had neglected her own health while caring for her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82. Kidney stones last September led to an infection, and the complications have cascaded, dizziness, dehydration, immune and digestive problems that Parton says have been "out of whack" for the better part of two years.
On August 14, Parton was supposed to appear in person at Dollywood for the opening of the park's NightFlight Expedition roller coaster. Instead, she appeared by video from Nashville, wearing fairy wings and telling the crowd her doctor had grounded her.
"I've told you before, all my fans, that I have had a few little health issues. And sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated. So I guess if your doctor tells you you ain't traveling this week, you ain't traveling this week."
The Knoxville News Sentinel and the Tennessean both covered the virtual appearance. It was not the first time Parton's health had pulled her away from Dollywood. In September 2025, she missed a scheduled event at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, park after a kidney stone developed into an infection. The New York Post reported that the event was meant to unveil the park's newest attraction, part of a $500 million expansion plan. Dollywood's president carried on with the preview in her absence.
The pattern of cancellations has grown longer. Parton first postponed her Las Vegas residency, "Dolly: Live in Las Vegas" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, citing health challenges and what she described as "a few procedures." She later canceled the residency outright. AP News reported that the cancellation stemmed from kidney stone complications affecting her immune and digestive systems, with medication side effects leaving her feeling "swimmy headed" and unfit for stage performance.
In January, she missed her own 80th birthday celebration at the Grand Ole Opry. By May, she shared what she called a "bad health update" in a video to fans. A June ribbon-cutting at Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop offered a brighter moment, she appeared in person and was described as being in good spirits, but the August Dollywood cancellation made clear the health struggles had not resolved.
Fox News reported that Parton addressed the emotional weight of losing Dean while managing her own medical problems, telling fans her conditions are treatable and that she is responding well to medication. She acknowledged the side effects still prevent her from performing live.
"I'm doing really well, and they assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I'm going with that, and I just want you to know I thank you for standing by me and that I will always love you."
The concern has extended beyond Parton's own public statements. Her sister Freida posted a prayer request on Facebook expressing worry about Dolly's health, as Breitbart reported. Parton herself has pushed back against any suggestion she might retire.
"Don't worry about me quittin' the business because God hasn't said anything about stopping yet."
She told People she chalks some of the heightened alarm up to the speed of modern media.
"I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn't years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I'm the Queen of Social Media AI!"
If Parton's body has slowed her down, her business schedule has not gotten the memo. She announced a Broadway musical, "Dolly: A True Original Musical," told in her own words and through the music that has accompanied her career. She called it "a dream come true." The production is in development, though no opening date has been set publicly.
She is also opening the Songteller Hotel in Nashville in the coming weeks, launching a line of dog treats with Purina, and debuting a coffee collaboration with Community Coffee called "Cup of Ambition Coffee." And she told People she is in the early stages of working with companies on avatar performance technology, a way, potentially, to appear onstage without the physical toll of travel and live shows.
Parton noted this is not her first stretch of serious health trouble. She said she was "down for several months with female issues" in the early 1980s. But the current round, kidney stones, infection, immune and digestive complications, dizziness, dehydration, and the grief of losing her husband of nearly six decades, has clearly tested her in ways the public has not seen before.
She no longer has the energy for traditional touring, she said. Her doctors have told her everything she faces is treatable. She is responding well to medication. But the gap between "treatable" and "back on stage" remains wide, and Parton has been honest enough to say so rather than pretend otherwise.
Page Six reported it reached out to Parton's representative for comment but did not indicate a response.
At 80, Dolly Parton has earned the right to slow down, and the fact that she refuses to says more about her character than any health bulletin ever could.
