Dolly Parton shared Monday that she still faces a long road to being able to perform again following recent health challenges. The country legend also reflected on the 2025 death of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
In a five-minute video posted to social media, Parton told fans she is responding well to medication and treatment but shared the process has left her feeling “a little swimmy-headed.”
“The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments, and I’m improving every day,” Parton said. She cannot perform at her usual level yet because she shouldn’t be “dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on 5-inch heels.”
Parton compared her treatment to restoring a classic car, noting that while doctors found she needed an engine rebuild, she was intent on replacing her “spark plugs” so she wouldn’t “lose her spark.” While she did not go into detail on specific diagnoses, she reassured fans her condition is treatable. As she has previously told fans, she addressed her continued struggle with kidney stones.
“They dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee,” she quipped.
The star shared she hoped to be “up to snuff” soon.
Vegas residency canceled
The health update came with the news that Parton’s Las Vegas residency — previously postponed to September 2026 — has been canceled. Parton expressed regret over the cancellation but encouraged fans to have a good time in Vegas and to visit New York to see her new musical that she hopes will open this winter.
Despite treatments and recovery, Parton highlighted she is still staying busy. She shared she is still writing and working on her Broadway musical, recording music, and overseeing the opening of a museum and hotel in Nashville later this year.
The singer made her first major public appearance in months this past March, delivering the keynote address for Dollywood’s 41st anniversary.
Parton reflects on the loss of her husband
Parton also took a moment to reflect on her year of “firsts” without Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years, who died in March 2025. She thanked fans for the influx of flowers and cards that made her porch look like “the botanical gardens” and her den “like the post office.”
Parton ended her message with another nod to fans: “I just want you to know I thank you for standing by me and that I will always love you.”