Dolly Parton has announced that she is bowing out of her Las Vegas residency because of health issues that have not yet been fully resolved. The star, 80, made that known to her fans on Instagram on Monday, May 4, In a video, Parton was more specific about her physical problems than she has been in the past. She captioned it, "Thank you for standing by me and showing me so much love and support over the past year. I've still got some healing to do, but I am on my way! See you soon."
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Wearing a sparkly black and pink outfit, Parton kept the tone bubbly. She detailed her medical situation and tried to reassure her fans. She began by saying, "...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 that 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 swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say."
Parton Likened Herself to a Vintage Car That Needs Refurbishing To Run Smoothly
With a jaunty, upbeat attitude, Parton compared herself to a car that requires some work to operate well. She mentioned in the video, ""When they raised the hood on this old antique, they realized that I need to rebuild my engine and that my transmission is slipping, my oil pan is leaking, my muffler's busted and my shocks and pistons need to be replaced."
Furthermore, the "Jolene" singer went on. "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 anything about my mental health," Parton lightheartedly quipped.
She Noted Her Kidney Stones, Plus Two Other Medical Problems
After mentioning her kidney stones, Dolly Parton continued to describe a coupe of other issues. "But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple of years, and they're working real hard on rebuilding their strength."
While she is on the mend, Parton is still at work on projects that mean a lot to her. One of them is a Broadway show about her life, Dolly: A True Original Musical. She says it will open in the fall or winter. Her Nashville hotel and museum are scheduled to welcome the public this year as well.
However, Dolly Parton also said that her Vegas residency in September has had to be cancelled.
Life Without Her Late Husband Has Been Challenging
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, died in March of 2025 at the age of 82. He and Parton were married for almost 60 years. He remained in the background while her career took off. Nevertheless, Dean was a constant and loving presence in her life. Learning to reset and regroup without him has been rough for the singer.
She said, "A lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that. But after going through a year of firsts, I mean the holidays, and especially our wedding anniversary, and the date of his death, March. 3, that was hard for me."
Parton told her fans how much she appreciates their concern and well-wishes during such a difficult time.
