Dolly Parton is keeping fans updated on her health journey after missing a major Dollywood event.
Last week, the country icon skipped the grand opening of the NightFlight Expedition rollercoaster in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, choosing to stay back in Nashville and send a video message to the crowd instead. In the video, she told fans that her doctor grounded her for the week due to dizziness and dehydration.
It turns out those symptoms are a part of a bigger picture. In a recent interview with People, Parton admitted that taking care of her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, meant putting her own health on hold.
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“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she said.
Keeping Things in Perspective
Parton is quick to remind fans that she’s faced medical hurdles before. She brought up a months-long health issue that she dealt with back in the early ‘80s, noting that the main difference today is just how fast rumors spread online.
“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she said. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI!”
She reassured everyone that she’s pushing forward, adding, “Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Expanding Her Nashville Footprint
Parton is certainly keeping her word on the work front. She just officially announced the Life of Many Colors Museum, which, according to the museum’s website, is the “largest exhibit celebrating her life anywhere in the world.”
The museum will take over the third floor of her upcoming SongTeller Hotel in downtown Nashville. The property is set to open its doors to guests in September 2026.
“I am so proud of this. We found this location early one morning. I knew I wanted to do something special in Nashville, and until I saw this building, nothing ever hit me as the right thing to do,” she told People.
“I saw a copy of my book Songteller in the lobby of what once was this office building. After touring it and seeing the location, I knew this was it,” she continued. “I wanted to join all my Nashville friends downtown, but I didn’t just want it to be another bar. So we found a way to bring in my museum on the third floor and make it really special.”
Fans can expect even more from her this fall, as she plans to launch a nationwide shipping option for her new Cup of Ambition Coffee in September.
