Dolly Parton has officially canceled her previously postponed Las Vegas residency, citing health challenges that leave her feeling "swimmy headed." However, the 80-year-old country music legend has reassured fans that her ailments are treatable and she is on the mend.
Health Update from the Star
In a short video posted to her official Instagram account, Parton shared both good and bad news. "The good news is I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day," she said. "Now 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 lit bit swimmy headed, as my grandma used to say."
With her characteristic humor, she added, "And 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. Not to mention, all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big … uh, personality. Lord, those — that would make anybody swimmy headed!"
Details on Her Condition
While Parton did not disclose extensive details about her health, she mentioned ongoing issues with kidney stones and revealed that her immune and digestive systems "got all out of whack over the past couple three years." She emphasized that doctors are working hard to rebuild and strengthen those systems. Crucially, she noted, "Everything I have is treatable, so I'm going with that."
Other Projects Continue
Despite the residency cancellation, Parton confirmed that she is still moving forward with other ventures, including opening a museum and hotel in Nashville, as well as her forthcoming Broadway musical, "Dolly: A True Original Musical," which is set to open in New York later this year.
Previous Health Challenges
This is not the first time health issues have impacted Parton's plans. In September, she postponed her first Las Vegas residency in 32 years due to health challenges. The six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, originally scheduled for December, were moved to this September before ultimately being canceled. At the time, she said, "Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But I believe he is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you."
Last September, Parton also missed the announcement of a new ride at Dollywood due to a kidney stone that caused an infection. In a video, she explained, "I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it’d given me an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.’"
The following month, she posted a video joking that she "ain’t dead yet" amid public speculation about her health. "There are just a lot of rumors flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was OK," she said. "I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me. And I ain’t done working."
Parton continues to perform occasionally but has not toured since her "Pure & Simple Tour" ended in 2016. A representative directed inquiries back to Parton's video message.
