The legendary singer said “everything is treatable” and she is making progress everyday
Dolly Parton has had to cancel her Las Vegas residency entirely over ill health(Image: dollyparton/Instagram)
Dolly Parton has shared a “good and bad news” health update with fans. The country music icon had previously postponed her forthcoming Las Vegas residency until September 2026, but has now been compelled to cancel it altogether.
The celebrated singer, 80, best known for hits such as Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You, addressed her followers on social media on Monday, revealing she has “good news and a little bad news” concerning her health, but claimed doctors have confirmed “everything is treatable” and she is showing daily progress.
She said: “I am here to give you an update in a few things in my life. First, it’s concerning my health and I have some good news and a little bad news but the good news is I’m responding well to meds and treatments and I am improving every day.
“The bad news is it’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swim-headed as my grandma used to say and of course I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos and guitars and such on five-inch heels, not to mention all those rhinestone outfits, my big hair my big, uh, personality, that would make anyone swim-headed,” reports the Mirror.
Dolly remained optimistic throughout the update as she believes that ‘a happy heart is good medicine'(Image: dollyparton/Instagram)
“Think of me as an old-fashioned car, once restored, it can be better than ever. But when they lifted the hood on this antique, they realised that I need to rebuild my engine, my transmission is slipping and my mufflers need busting, my pistons need to be replaced.
“Spark plugs need to be changed because you know as well as I know that I can’t lose my spark! I know, I’m still crazy but they didn’t mention nothing about my mental health.
“I’ve always had problems with my kidney stones, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack and they’re working real hard on building and re-strengthening those. Hopefully I’ll be up to snuff again soon.”
Ever the optimist, Dolly continued: “Maybe I shouldn’t have said snuff – that wouldn’t be good for either of those would it. I wouldn’t want my top lip to fall off on top of everything else. It’d be like losing a hubcap. I’m just trying to keep everything light and airy, they say that a happy heart is good medicine. Do you think I’m overmedicating?
“The truth is I am still working, videos, recording, I go up and down to Dollywood and I’m working hard on getting my hotel and museum open. And I’m spending a lot of time working on my Broadway musical open this year. I know you’re thinking ‘That girl’s always promoting something,’ that’s true, but that’s how you get it done. I am truly sorry.”
Dolly then turned to the subject of her late husband Carl, who died just over a year ago almost six decades after they tied the knot, and thanked her loyal fans for the way they had reached out to her in the time since his death.
Dolly also thanked fans for the support she has received since her husband Carl died just over a year ago(Image: Dolly Parton)
“I’m gonna miss all of you that had tickets to see me in Las Vegas, you get along to Vegas, have a good time and hopefully sometime you’ll come up to New York and see my show, I’ll see you somewhere down the line. A lot of you have been so concerned about me and Carl, and you’ve been so great about that, and after going through a year of firsts – the holidays, and our wedding anniversary and the day of his death, that was hard for me but I will always love him and I’ll always miss him.
Known for her humorous quips and quotes, the former Hannah Montana star signed off her lengthy video by joking about her numerous bouts of cosmetic work over the years but acknowledged the “serious business” that is her internal health, as she reminded fans that, in a nod to her 1973 ballad that was famously covered by Whitney Houston, that she will “always love” them.
She continued: “You would be surprised at how much your love meant to me during that time. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, you have been a big part of my healing. Speaking of Carl and my health, I remember years back, I was saying something and Carl said ‘You’re not getting any younger!’ and I said ‘Honey, as long as there are plastic surgeons in this world, I am not getting any older!’
“Plastic surgeons can make you look good on the outside but it’s serious business when you’re talking about internal medicine. I have great doctors, and I’m doing really well and they assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I am going with that and I just want to thank you for standing by me and I Will Always Love You.”
