Country music icon Dolly Parton missed the dedication of her theme park’s newest, most expensive attraction Friday after her doctor advised her to stay home in Nashville because of ongoing “health issues.”
The 80-year-old “9 to 5” singer had planned to appear in person at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the opening of NightFlight Expedition, a hybrid roller coaster and whitewater ride billed as the largest single investment in the park’s 40-year history. Instead, Ms. Parton appeared by video, telling the crowd she was “still in Nashville” and apologizing for not making the trip.
She said dizziness and dehydration prompted her physician to keep her close to home.
“My Nashville doctor clipped my wings, saying, ’you ain’t traveling this week,’” Ms. Parton said, according to the video shared at the event.
Ms. Parton, wearing fairy wings for the appearance, told fans she has “had a few little health issues” and reassured them that her doctors consider her conditions treatable.
The absence extends a stretch of health-related setbacks for the singer. In May, she canceled her planned Las Vegas residency, which had already been postponed once, saying her immune and digestive systems had gotten “out of whack” and that treatments left her feeling “swimmy-headed.” She said at the time she was “responding really well to meds and treatments” but was not yet ready to perform at full capacity.
That announcement followed a period last fall when Ms. Parton’s sister sparked concern among fans after asking for prayers on social media. Ms. Parton later addressed the speculation directly, telling followers she was “not ready to die yet.”
Ms. Parton has also spoken about the toll of grief following the March 2025 death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean. She said last year she has been unable to return to songwriting since his passing, explaining she “can’t afford the luxury” of getting that emotional right now.
Despite the health setbacks, Ms. Parton has continued working on other ventures, including her Songteller Hotel, her Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville and an upcoming Broadway musical based on her life.
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