Credit: Kristopher Harris, FlickrAmerican country music legend Dolly Parton has canceled several concerts, events, and an appearance at Dollywood in recent weeks, citing “some health challenges.”
Parton is known not just for her unmistakable appearance and iconic voice, but for giving back to her local community and children around the country with her Imagination Library. In the 1980s, the singer purchased a majority stake in an existing theme park in her home state of Tennessee, marking the beginning of Dollywood’s 40-year legacy.
As the largest employer in the area, the Pigeon Forge destination has doubled its size since Parton took over, expanding to include more theme park attractions as well as Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Park, DreamMore Resort & Spa, and HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
On September 16, Dollywood announced that its Dreamer-in-Chief, Dolly Parton, wouldn’t make a planned appearance at the Smoky Mountain theme park the following day. Parton was supposed to help the park reveal the debut of a first-of-its-kind attraction, NightFlight Expedition, in 2026. The park didn’t give a reason for its founder’s cancellation, but went ahead with the ride announcement.
Then, on September 29, Parton shared that she was dealing with “some health challenges” that necessitated the postponement of her Las Vegas concert series scheduled for December 2025. On Instagram, the singer posted a new Dolly: Live in Las Vegas concert schedule for September 2026, writing:
“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. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon! In all seriousness, 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. While I’ll still be able to work on all of my projects here in Nashville, I just need a little time to get show ready, as they say. And 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. I love you and thank you for understanding.”
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Just one day later, on September 30, Parton’s representatives confirmed that she would not attend the Oscar organization’s Governors Award Ceremony in person in November. The singer will virtually accept the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award instead.
Parton’s team didn’t share any more information about her ongoing medical challenges, but told USA Today that this cancellation was due to a scheduling conflict, not a health concern. “We told Governors Awards/Academy in June she could not attend due to a scheduling conflict when they first approached us,” Parton’s publicist wrote.
The news comes just months after the death of Parton’s longtime husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who was 82. The famously private couple lived together in Nashville for nearly 60 years before his death on March 3, 2025. Days after her husband’s death, the singer memorialized Dean with a new song called “If You Hadn’t Been There.”
“I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old,” Parton wrote. “We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him.”
Dean made a rare public statement about his marriage to Parton in 2016, following a private vow renewal ceremony where the couple celebrated 50 years together. He recalled the moment he met Dolly outside Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville–the same day she moved there to pursue her dreams.
“My first thought was ‘I’m gonna marry that girl,’” Dean recalled. “My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”
As of now, Dolly Parton is still planning to perform the Dolly: Live in Las Vegas concert series at The Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace in September 2026. It’s unknown whether she will make any public appearances before then, but she often performs or visits Dollywood for the Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration and other special events at the theme park.
Which of Dolly Parton’s many projects and ventures is your favorite? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!