Dolly Parton, 80, made a surprise public appearance on Wednesday at the opening of her new truck stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, just weeks after cancelling her Las Vegas residency due to health issues. The country icon, dressed in a blue fringed outfit and sparkly heels, cut the ribbon with bedazzled scissors and briefly addressed the crowd, many of whom had travelled from out of state to see her.
Parton joked about the truck stop, named Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop, saying: 'I’m sure some of you wondered why I wanted a truck stop — well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers,' in a nod to the popular chain Buc-ee's. The venue serves BBQ and coffee called 'Cup of Ambition' and has its own merchandise line.
The appearance comes as fans have been concerned about Parton's health following the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency in May. In a social media video, she explained she was responding well to medication and treatment but needed time to recover before performing, joking about feeling 'swimmy-headed' and comparing herself to an 'old classic car' needing repairs.
Parton has been dealing with health issues while grieving her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025. She previously postponed concerts last year for unspecified medical treatment and has spoken about struggles with kidney stones and digestive problems. Despite this, she appeared in good spirits, telling the crowd she was 'taking good care' of her health.
