Dolly Parton's team has spoken out after her sister asked fans to pray for the country star after she was forced to cancel her December Las Vegas residency due to medical issues.
The singer, 79, had also withdrawn from a planned Dollywood appearance last month, telling fans that she was following her doctors’ advice to take time off from performing.
Dolly told her fans in a statement: "I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts. As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures."
Despite the serious nature of the news, the 'Jolene' singer couldn’t resist adding her signature humor, joking with her medical team that it must be time for her “100,000 mile check-up”, though she joked that she is more used to meeting with a plastic surgeon than one for medical reasons.
Why has Dolly Parton postponed her shows?
She revealed that the decision to take a break was to ensure that she was able to give her fans the quality of show that they expect from her, adding: "Given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
Dolly also confirmed she will continue working on other projects from her home in Nashville during her recovery.
The Tennessee-born star was quick to reassure fans that this isn’t a sign of retirement. She added: “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.”
Dolly had also cancelled an appearance at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, revealing that she was recovering from kidney stones that caused an infection.
In a video message played for guests, she told visitors: “Well, I had a little problem. 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 country star also postponed her residency, Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, her first extended run of concerts in the city in 32 years, at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, which had been due to kick off on December 4 and which will now start in September 2026.
What did Dolly Parton's sister say about her health?
Following her recent health challenges, Dolly's sister Freida Parton shared a message asking fans for their prayers for the singer.
As reported by the Guardian, Freida told fans she had been "up all night praying” for her sister, writing on Facebook: "Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly.
"Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.
"She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!"
While the statement had sparked fear among fans, Dolly's UK manager Olly Rowland downplayed her health issues, telling The Mirror: “It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those.
"It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly."
Dolly had also shut down the prospect of retiring any time soon, telling the Guardian last year: "Oh, my Lord, I can’t retire. I always say I’ve dreamed myself into a corner. I’ve got to keep all those dreams alive. Every dream spins off into some something else … I couldn’t retire if I wanted to. And I don’t want to."