Dolly Parton Cancels Las Vegas Residency, Shares Health Update After Husband's Death

Country music legend Dolly Parton canceled her upcoming Las Vegas residency on Monday after health setbacks, including side effects from medications and treatments.

In a social media video, Parton shared good news and bad news about her condition. "I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day," she said. The bad news: she has not reached the performance level she wants. "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," she added. "And of course I can't be dizzy, carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels ... not to mention all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big personality."

Parton compared herself to an old classic car in need of repairs. "Once restored it 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 is busted, and my shocks and pistons need to be replaced," she said. "Because you know, as well as I know, that I can't lose my spark."

She has long dealt with kidney stones, which threw her immune and digestive systems out of whack. "They're working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those," Parton said. Her humor helps keep things light. "They say that a happy heart is like good medicine," she noted. "You think I might be over medicating myself right now? But the truth is, I am still working."

Parton continues videos, recording, and trips to Dollywood. She is preparing her Nashville museum and hotel for later this year, plus writing for her Broadway musical "Dolly, a true original musical," set to open in New York this fall or early winter.

Ticketmaster confirmed the six September shows in Las Vegas are canceled. "I am truly sorry that I'm gonna miss all of you that had tickets to see me in Las Vegas," she said. "Well, you get on to Vegas. You have a big time. And hopefully, sometime you'll come up to New York and maybe see my show. And I'll see you somewhere down the line."

Fans worried after her husband Carl Dean died March 3, 2025, at age 82 following 58 years of marriage. Parton addressed it in the video. "I just want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl and you were so great about that," she said. "But after going through a year first, I mean the holidays, and especially our wedding anniversary and the day of his death, March 3rd, you know, that was hard for me. I will always love him and I'll always miss him, but you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time."

Parton praised her medical team. "I have great doctors and I'm doing really well and they assure me that everything I have is treatable," she said. "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."