A big update from the one and only Dolly Parton.
As most fans know, she’s been dealing with some health issues over the last year or so, and at the end of last year, she had to cancel plans for a Las Vegas residency due to those health issues, which were reported to be complications from kidney stones. It became an even bigger story when her sister asking for “prayers,” leading many to think the health issues were more serious than Dolly was letting on, and this video Dolly shared makes me wonder if that was maybe the case.
Dolly has said before she has issues with kidney stones, and her procedure was likely related to that, but in addition, she lost her husband of nearly 60 years at the beginning of 2025, so surely that has been weighing on her, and the woman deserves a break… I don’t think she has stopped working since she first set foot in Nashville at 18 years old.
But this afternoon, she shared a much lengthier video, confirming that she will have to cancel the previously-rescheduled dates in Vegas, which were set for this September, due to the ongoing health issues, which she’s been taking mediation for that makes her “swimmy headed” and dizzy. She opened by saying she has “good news and a little bad news,” with the good news being that she’s “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day”:
“Well hey there, it’s Dolly and I’m here to give you an update on a few things going on 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 really well to meds and treatments, and I’m improving every day.
Now the bad news is, 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 bit swimmy headed, as my grandma used to say. And of course I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos and guitars and such on 5 inch heels, and you know that I’m gonna be wearing them.
Not to mention all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big… personality. Lord those… that would make anybody swimmy headed.”
But because of the medications she’s on, she can’t be prancing around stage in heels and carrying guitars and banjos that way, so it will be a while before she can perform in person again. She likened herself to an old antique car that needs some tune-ups, and I hate to speculate because it’s really no one’s business what’s going on with her personal health, but it sounds like there might be some more serious things going on than kidney stone issues:
“But just think of me as like an old classic car that, once restored, can be better than ever. But when they raise the hood on this old antique, they realize that I need to rebuild my engine, and that my transmission is slipping, my oil pan is leaking, and my muffler is busted and 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.
I know I’m still crazy, but they didn’t mention nothing about my mental health. But you know I’ve told you before that I’ve always had problems with my kidney stones. Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee. But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple, three years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those. And hopefully I’ll be able to snuff again soon.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said snuff, snuff wouldn’t be very good for either of those, would it? Plus, I wouldn’t want my lower lip to fall off on top of everything else. That would be like losing a hubcap, wouldn’t it? Anyway, I know I’m being silly, but I’m just trying to keep everything light and airy. They say that happy heart is like good medicine.”
She still has her sense of humor, of course…
Dolly joked that she might be “over medicating” herself, but she continues to work on what she can behind the scenes, perfecting her forthcoming Broadway musical “Dolly: A True Original Musical,” in addition to running up to Dollywood here and there and making videos and other such things:
“Do you think I might be over medicating myself right now? But the truth is, I am still working. I still do videos, I still record or run up and down to Dollywood now then. And I’m working hard on getting my museum and the hotel open in Nashville later this year, and I am spending a lot of time writing and reworking on my Broadway musical.
It’s called, ‘Dolly: A True Original Musical,’ and that’s gonna be opening later in New York, this fall or early winter. Oh, I know, you’re thinking, Lord, sick or well, that girl is always promoting something. Well, that’s true, but that’s how you get it done. And oh, ‘On a more serious note. I am truly sorry that I’m gonna miss all of you that had tickets to see me in Las Vegas. Well, you get onto Vegas and you have a big time, and hopefully sometime you’ll come up to New York and maybe see my show, and I’ll see you somewhere down the line.”
She also thanked fans for all over their prayers and support following the death of her late husband, Carl Dean, last March, admitting it has obviously been a very difficult year of firsts for her:
“But I just want you to know also, that a lot of you been concerned about me and Carl and you were so great about that but after going through a year firsts. I mean, the holidays, and especially our wedding anniversary and the day of his death, March 3rd, you know, that was hard for me.
But I will always love him, and I’ll always miss him. But you would be surprised and how much your love and concern meant to me during that time. Lord, my house and my porch look like the botanical gardens with all the flowers, and my den looked like the post office with all the cards and letters. So yes, 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 back years ago, I was saying something, I was griping about something hurting, and Carl said, ‘Now, honey, you got to remember you’re not getting any younger. I said ‘Well, honey, you’ve got to remember that as long as there are plastic surgeons in this world, I’m not getting any older.'”
Classic Dolly…
She closed the video by saying that her doctors are “great” and have told her everything is “treatable,” and she’s going with that and doing everything she can to get better. I don’t love the sound of that to be honest, but Dolly is an incredibly strong woman, so whether there are more serious things going on or not, she has the whole world on her side thinking about her and praying for her:
“But anyway, of course plastic surgeons can make you look as good as they can on the outside, but it’s serious business when you’re talking about internal medicine. So I have great doctors and 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. Thank you.”
Prayers up for Mrs. Dolly. She is a national treasure we must protect at all costs… you can watch the full video here:
