Dolly Parton’s sister says she has been “up all night praying” for the singer as she continues to deal with unspecified health problems.
Freida Parton wrote that her 79-year-old sister “hasn’t been feeling her best lately”, two weeks after the singer postponed a Las Vegas residency scheduled for December, citing “health challenges”.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Freida Parton wrote on Facebook.
“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’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!”
Parton was due to begin Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, the singer’s first extended run of concerts in the city in 32 years, at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on 4 December but it has been rescheduled for September 2026.
The singer announced that she has “been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures”.
She did not give details but added light-heartedly: “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile checkup, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
She continued: “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 … 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.”
Asked about the possibility of retirement in an interview last year, Parton told the Guardian: “Oh, my Lord, I can’t retire. I always say I’ve dreamed myself into a corner. I’ve got to keep all those dreams alive. Every dream spins off into some something else … I couldn’t retire if I wanted to. And I don’t want to.”
Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died aged 82 in March.
