Country music icon Dolly Parton has canceled her highly anticipated Las Vegas residency as she continues to deal with ongoing health issues, delivering the update directly to fans in a candid and characteristically upbeat social media video Monday.
The 80-year-old star had previously postponed the residency from December 2025 to September 2026, but now says she needs additional time to recover before returning to the stage.
“Thank you for standing by me and showing me so much love and support over the past year. I’ve still got some healing to do, but I am on my way! See you soon,” she wrote on social media.
In the video, Parton opened with a direct update. She explained that while her condition is improving, it is not yet at a point where she can perform.
“The bad news is… it’s going to take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say. Of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels. And you know that I’m going to be wearing them.”
She added, “Not to mention all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big personality. Lord, that would make anybody swimmy-headed.”
In addition to her physical health challenges, she has also been dealing with emotional strain following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in 2025, which she has acknowledged took a toll on her overall well-being.
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Parton has said that this period has required her to focus on healing not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. Using humor, she compared her health to a classic car in need of repairs.
“But this thing of me is like an old classic car that, once restored, can be better than ever. But when they raised the hood on this old antique, they realized that I need to rebuild my engine, that my transmission is slipping, my oil pan is leaking, and my muffler’s busted. And my shocks and pistons need to be replaced. And, for sure, my spark plugs need to be changed. Because you know, as well as I know, that I can’t lose my spark.”
“But, you know, I’ve told you before that I’ve always had problems with my kidney stones. Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee.”
She added, “But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple of three years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those.”
Despite canceling the residency, Parton made clear she remains active professionally. She continues to record, film, and oversee projects tied to Dollywood, along with preparations for her Broadway production on Broadway.
“The truth is, I am still working. I still do videos. I still record. I run up and down to Dollywood now and then. And I’m working hard on getting my museum and my hotel open in Nashville later this year.”
Parton closed with a hopeful outlook, emphasizing that her condition is treatable.
“So I have great doctors, and I’m doing really well. They assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I’m going with that. And I just want you to know I thank you for standing by me—and that I will always love you. Thank you.”
