Dolly Parton’s Road to Recovery: The Country Icon Opens Up About Her Health, Heartbreak, and What Comes Next.LC

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Dolly Parton is on her way to recovery after a bout of health issues forced her to push six Las Vegas shows from December 2025 to September 2026.

People cites an anonymous source close to the singer who says “Dolly is doing better every day.”

The source says Parton is making the most of her recovery time by spending time with loved ones and preparing for a festive holiday season.

“She is at home taking care of herself while many friends and family visit her,” they continue. “In true Dolly spirit she has already started decorating for the holidays — her favorite time of year.”

What’s Wrong With Dolly Parton?

Parton hasn’t shared the full scope of her health issues, though she has provided fans some information.

She recently suffered a kidney stone that led to an infection, and that kept her away from a planned appearance at Dollywood in September.

Read More: What’s Wrong With Dolly Parton?

Unfortunately, that’s not the full extent of Parton’s health maladies. She’s said she needs to have “a few procedures done,” though she has stressed that they are all relatively routine.

After Parton’s sister Freida shared a statement asking for prayers for the country legend, many fans were alarmed that things might be more dire than Parton had originally let on.

She responded with a video to assure everyone she was okay. In that statement, she also said that she’d been neglecting some health upkeep during her husband Carl Dean’s illness and after his death.

Now, she says, she’s undergoing a health overhaul to take care of the built-up issues, meaning that she needs to stay close to home to attend medical appointments in Nashville.

How is Dolly Parton Doing Now?

All of Parton’s statements have been consistent with the anonymous source’s report that she’s on the upswing.

She’s still working, albeit not on the road. Currently, Parton is promoting her new book, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage. She’s also got a hand in multiple other projects, including a musical focused on her life.

Will Dolly Parton Retire?

Not likely — at least, not anytime soon.

Parton, who turns 80 years old in January, has consistently and emphatically denied that she’s planning to retire.

In her new cover story for People, she says that age is just a mindset, and in her mind, she’s still got lots of work to do. “I feel like I’m just getting started,” she says.

“I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine…I think there’s a lot to be said about age,” Parton reflects. “If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about.”

30 Photos of Dolly Parton Young

Dolly Parton has been a fixture in country music and really, all of entertainment, since the 1960s. The only thing that has changed about the icon is her age — she’s as radiant as she’s ever been! Check out these pictures of a young Dolly Parton.