Dolly Parton Felt ‘Temporarily Broken’ the Last Time She Put Her Career on Hold for Illness

Dolly Parton’s career took off in the 1970s, but a lengthy illness put it at risk in the early ‘80s. Parton was working to the point of exhaustion and also dealt with emotional turmoil. Parton, who is typically a very cheerful person, said this brought her to an all-time low. Her spirit felt broken.

Dolly Parton said a lengthy illness in the 1980s devastated her

While Parton was filming The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, she began to experience health problems. She’d been pushing herself hard for several years. This, coupled with the end of a meaningful relationship, sent her spiraling.

“I wasn’t watching what I ate, wasn’t conscious of nutrition, wasn’t taking care of myself,” she said, per the book Smart Blonde by Stephen Miller. “I was working hard and underneath I was a pile of personal and emotional problems. All at once I fell apart. It was stomach problems and female problems – all over health problems actually. It was God’s way of telling me to get myself straight . . . I’m grateful to have had them when I was still young enough to bounce back.”

While Parton was able to “bounce back,” she said that her period of illness “just about killed” her. She felt that her spirit was “temporarily broken” during this time.

She ultimately had to step back from her career, something she hadn’t wanted to do, in order to get better. Parton said that taking time to focus on her health and build back her trust in herself did wonders.