Dolly Parton Assures Fans She ‘Ain’t Dead Yet’ Amid Concerns Over Her Health
Dolly Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency because of her health, setting off a wave of concern amongst fans. People’s worries only heightened after Parton’s younger sister asked for prayers. In response to the concern, Parton got on social media to assure people that they’re getting worked up over nothing.
Dolly Parton gives fans an update on her health
In a post on social media captioned, “I ain’t dead yet!” Parton addressed her concerned fans. She told them she was doing commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, proving she was still fully capable of working.
“I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am,” she said. “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here!”
While she said she appreciated people’s concern, she wanted to “put everybody’s mind at ease.” She noted that during her husband Carl Dean’s lengthy illness, she “didn’t take care” of herself and “let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.”
“When I got around to it, the doctor said, ‘We need to take care of this, we need to take care of that,” she said. “Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home.”
Many people worried that Parton’s health could have taken a serious turn for the worse. She assured them that she is still in good spirits and intends to keep working.
“I wanted you to know that I’m not dying!” she said, adding, “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working.”
A representative for Parton revealed she is dealing with kidney stones.
Dolly Parton’s sister set off a wave of concern about her health
The concern over Parton’s health reached a new pitch on Oct. 7, after her sister Freida posted about prayer for her.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” she wrote on Facebook (via the LA Times). “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been (led) to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.”
Frieda quickly cleared things up as people started reacting to her post.
“I want to clear something up,” she wrote in a follow-up post. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly. She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference.”
She postponed a series of shows
Widespread concern over Parton’s health first kicked off on Sept. 28, after she postponed her Las Vegas residency.
“I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,” she wrote on social media. “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked to them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile checkup, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
She told fans that while she would continue to work, she wasn’t in a position to rehearse for a series of shows. She pushed the dates back to December 2026.
