ON THE MEND

Dolly Parton Insider Gives Update on 79-Year-Old’s Health Battle

The country star’s health is “getting better every day,” according to a source close to Parton.

Dolly Parton is on the road to recovery after having to postpone her Las Vegas residency over “health challenges.” “Dolly is getting better every day,” a source close to Parton told People. “She is at home taking care of herself while many friends and family visit her.” The source even noted that “in true Dolly spirit, she has already started decorating for the holidays—her favorite time of year.” In September, Parton, 79, had a kidney stone-related infection, which forced her to cancel a trip to Dollywood. She also had to skip the Governors Awards, announcing at the time that she “must have a few procedures.” That same month, she announced she would be postponing her December residency to September 2026. Fans began to panic after Freida Parton, Dolly’s sister, asked the public to pray for her sister. But the beloved country singer cleared the air in October, explaining via video that she “let a lot of things go” that she “should’ve been taking care of” while caring for her sick husband, Carl Dean, who died in March. Parton explained her medical challenges were “nothing major” and she wasn’t dying, but she did need to “cancel some things” so she could “be closer to home.”