Dolly Parton Health Crisis Exposed: Country Star, 79, Suffering From Painful Kidney Stones After Postponing Las Vegas Residency

Dolly Parton’s health has fans worried after she postponed shows from her Las Vegas residency due to unspecified issues.

The concern only grew when her sister asked for prayers, sparking questions about what’s wrong with Parton.

The “Jolene” singer addressed her health condition in a lengthy video posted via Instagram on October 8.

"I ain't dead yet," the songstress declared in the caption.

Parton began the clip explaining that she was on set shooting commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, telling fans, “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.”

“Anyway, I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate," she continued. "I appreciate your prayers, 'cause I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I'm okay."

Parton revealed that her health “problems” were linked to her late husband Carl Dean’s death in March, when she neglected her own health to be by his side.

"Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of," she said. "So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, we need to take care of this. We need to take care of that. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I’m not dying."

Although it’s unclear what health issues Parton is facing, the Grammy-winning singer missed an appearance last month at Dollywood as she recovered from a painful kidney stone infection.

"I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it’d given me an infection," Dolly addressed the audience virtually in a video during the September 17 event. "And the doctor said, 'You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.' "

Parton sparked worry from fans when she announced that she was canceling a number of her Las Vegas residency dates to undergo “a few procedures” and would not have adequate time to rehearse her performances. At the time, the “Coat of Many Colors” singer didn’t specify what health issues she was suffering.

“I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,” Parton wrote in a statement shared to social media. “As many of you know, I’ve 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 check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”

Parton promised that her concert dates scheduled for December 2025 would now take place in the fall of 2026.

“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 see good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you,” she concluded.

Days later, Dolly’s sister, Freida Parton, continued to fuel rumors that the singer’s health was declining after telling fans she was “up all night praying” for 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 wrote via Facebook on October 7. "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!"