Dolly Parton Still Dealing With Health Issues, Misses Another Event

Dolly Parton is offering fans a reassuring update on her health after missing an important event at her Tennessee theme park.

The country music icon, 80, was expected to attend the Aug. 14 opening of NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Instead, Parton appeared in a prerecorded video from her Nashville home, explaining that her doctor advised her not to make the roughly 200-mile trip.

“I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,” Parton said, according to fan video shared on social media.

The “Jolene” singer joked that her doctor had “clipped my wings,” appearing in the video with butterfly wings moving behind her.

“So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week,’” she said. “So I guess if your doctor tells you, ‘You ain’t traveling this week,’ you ain’t traveling this week.”

Despite missing the event, Parton emphasized that she is doing well.

“All is going well on the medical end of things,” she said.

Parton also told fans she remains busy with several projects, including her planned SongTeller Hotel, Life of Many Colors Museum and her upcoming Broadway musical, Dolly: A True Original Musical.

She ended her message by sharing her excitement for the new Dollywood attraction and promising to see fans “down the road.”

NightFlight Expedition is an indoor adventure coaster and immersive attraction at Dollywood. The ride is scheduled to open to the public Aug. 19.

Parton’s health update comes after she canceled a planned Las Vegas residency and reduced her travel because of dizziness, dehydration and ongoing immune recovery.

Her most recent in-person public appearance was in June, when she attended the opening of her Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.

During that event, Parton joked about why she decided to open a truck stop, referencing Buc-ee’s, the popular travel center chain whose mascot is a beaver.

“I’m sure some of you are wondering why I wanted a truck stop. Well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers,” she said.

Parton has continued working despite her recent health concerns, and her latest message suggests she intends to remain involved with her business and entertainment projects while following her doctors’ advice about travel.