KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton offered a candid health update Monday afternoon, delivering what she described as “good news and a little bad news” in a video posted to social media.
The 80-year-old country music icon said she is responding well to medication and treatment, improving daily. However, she noted that she has been dealing with problems affecting her immune and digestive systems “over the past couple three years.” Parton also mentioned a long history of kidney stones.
The bad news, she explained, is that it will be “a little while” before she can perform on stage again. The medicine she is taking can cause dizziness, which she said is incompatible with carrying instruments while wearing her signature high heels. “And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels,” Parton said. “And you know that I’m gonna be wearing them.”
Despite the setbacks, Parton confirmed she is pressing ahead with plans to open her museum and hotel in Nashville later this year. She is also working on her Broadway musical, DOLLY: A True Original Musical, which is slated to premiere in New York in the fall or early winter.
The singer also reflected on the emotional weight of Monday, which marked the anniversary of her husband Carl Dean’s death. “I will always love him, and I’ll always miss him, but you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time,” she said, thanking fans for their support. “You have been a big part of my healing.”
Parton concluded the video with an optimistic note, saying her doctors have assured her that “everything” she is dealing with is treatable. “Just think of me as like an old classic car,” she said. “Once restored, [it] can be better than ever.”
Parton’s health update comes amid broader discussions about healthcare access and the challenges facing older Americans. For more on related policy debates, see our coverage of how lawmakers are being urged to redirect health dollars to patients ahead of 2026 reforms.
