Dolly Parton has been forced to cancel her Las Vegas residency over health issues – but said “everything is treatable” in a new statement. The 9 to 5 hitmaker took to social media this week to explain that after originally postponing her shows to September 2026 from last December, she has now been forced to axe the six-date stint entirely.
The 80-year-old songstress told fans: “I am here to give you an update in a few things 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 well to meds and treatments and I am improving every day. The bad news is it's gonna take me a little while before I'm up to stage level.”
Dolly explained “some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swim-headed, as my grandma used to say”, adding: “And of course I can't be dizzy carrying around banjos and guitars and such on five-inch heels, not to mention all those rhinestone outfits, my big hair my big, uh, personality, that would make anyone swim-headed.”
She added: “Think of me as an old-fashioned car, once restored, it can be better than ever. But when they lifted the hood on this antique, they realised that I need to rebuild my engine, my transmission is slipping and my mufflers need busting, my pistons need to be replaced.
“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.
"I've always had problems with my kidney stones, my immune system and by digestive system got all out of whack and they're working real hard on building and re-strengthening those. Hopefully I'll be up to snuff again soon.
“Maybe I shouldn't have said snuff - that wouldn't be good for either of those would it. I wouldn't want my top lip to fall off on top of everything else. It'd be like losing a hubcap. I'm just trying to keep everything light and airy, they say that a happy heart is good medicine. Do you think I'm overmedicating?
"The truth is I am still working, videos, recording, I go up and down to Dollywood and I'm working hard on getting my hotel and museum open. And I'm spending a lot of time working on my Broadway musical open this year. I know you're thinking 'That girl's always promoting something,' that's true, but that's how you get it done. I am truly sorry."
She concluded of her late husband Carl, who died last year: “A lot of have been so concerned about me and Carl, and you've been so great about that, and after going through a year of firsts - the holidays, and our wedding anniversary and the day of his death, that was hard for me but I will always love him and I'll always miss him.”
