Additional Coverage:
- Hold those tears: Dolly Parton declares ‘I’m not ready to die yet’ as she addresses health concerns (latimes.com)
Dolly Parton Reassures Fans About Health, Addresses Recent Cancellations
Country music icon Dolly Parton has personally addressed recent concerns over her health, taking to social media Wednesday to reassure fans that she is “OK” despite a series of postponed performances and a period of neglecting her own well-being after her husband’s passing.
The beloved 79-year-old star posted a video across her Instagram and X accounts, humorously asking, “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here,” before directly stating, “I want you to know that I’m OK.” Parton explained the video was filmed between commercial shoots for the Grand Ole Opry, aiming to quell widespread public apprehension.
Concerns for the “9 to 5” singer grew after she missed an event at her Dollywood amusement park in late September due to kidney stones. More recently, she announced the postponement of six December concerts scheduled at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, citing a need to address her health without elaborating further at the time.
Parton clarified that the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March at age 82 significantly impacted her. “When he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that should’ve been taken care of,” she recounted.
This led doctors to advise, “‘We need to take care of this, we need to take care of that.'” While emphasizing there was “nothing major” to worry about, she confirmed she “had to cancel some things to be closer to home” for “a few treatments here and there” at Vanderbilt University.
Prior to Parton’s video, her manager, Olly Rowland, offered a more specific detail to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, stating via text on Tuesday that the issues were “just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those.”
The week saw an escalation of concern after Parton’s younger sister, Freida Parton, posted on Facebook about her worry for Dolly, calling on fans to be “prayer warriors.” Freida later clarified her initial post, explaining she didn’t intend to “scare anyone” and was simply a “little sister asking for prayers for her big sister” who had been “a little under the weather.”
Acknowledging her faith, Parton welcomed the continued prayers, stating she “can always use the prayers for anything and everything.” She also used the opportunity to caution fans against “rumors” and misleading AI-generated photos, humorously recalling a fake image that supposedly depicted her and fellow country star Reba McEntire on their deathbeds, joking, “We both looked like we need to be buried.”
Parton concluded with her characteristic wit and determination: “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working.
I love you for caring and keep praying for me.”