15 hours ago
Dolly Parton provided an update on her health following the postponement of last year’s Las Vegas residency due to health challenges and the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in May.
She appeared Friday night at the opening of Dollywood’s 2026 season in Pigeon Forge, where she spoke candidly about how grieving the loss of her husband of nearly six decades affected her.
“I’ve been not touring, as you know,” the country music legend said during a keynote speech at the theme park. “I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them.”
Parton also shared what contributed to these health struggles.
“I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” she explained. “I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally and physically.”
The Grammy winner added that now “all is good” and the challenges “didn’t slow me down.”
She also revealed she has been busy working on her upcoming Broadway show, set to debut later this year, along with music projects including her song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” which features collaborations with several artists.
“I’ve just been doing a lot of writing, a lot of thinking, a lot of praying and a lot of getting ready for a lot of new stuff coming up for the rest of this whole year,” she said. “So, be ready for me. I ain’t done, I ain’t near done.”
This appearance marked a rare public outing after multiple cancellations over the past year, including missing the Film Academy’s Governors Awards in November and not attending her 80th birthday celebration at the Grand Ole Opry in January.
