Fans grew concerned after she cancelled her Las Vegas residency…
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Concerns have been growing over Dolly Parton’s health – but now, the 9-5 singer has put this speculation to bed, telling fans ‘I ain’t dead yet!’
The worry began when Dolly announced she would be postponing her Las Vegas concert residency for a number of medical procedures. Fans grew even more concerned when Dolly’s sister Freida Parton urged fans to pray for Dolly, who ‘hasn’t been feeling her best’ – sparking a fresh wave of worry for the 9-5 singer.
Now, Dolly has shared a fresh update on her health telling fans ‘I’m not dying.’ In a video posted on Instagram, she said: ‘I know lately everybody thinks that I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard,’ she said, adding ‘There’s a lot of rumours flying around, and I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I’m ok.’
What did Freida Parton say about Dolly?
This week, Freida Parton shared a post saying she had been ‘up all night praying for my sister’, who ‘hasn’t been feeling her best lately.’ After the post sparked alarm among fans, she clarified what she meant in a second one: ‘I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly. She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister.’
Dolly’s younger sister Stella also came to Freida’s defence, sharing on X that Dolly was battling kidney stones. She wrote: ‘To those with genuine concern for my big sister Dolly’s well-being, she posted a video last week to share with her fans that she has had kidney stones and is getting treatment.’
Why did Dolly Parton cancel her Las Vegas residency?
Dolly pulled out of her Dollywood appearance earlier this month. At the time, she issued a statement detailing her decision. ‘I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,’ she wrote. ‘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.’
In true Parton style, she couldn’t resist adding an element of humour. She said she had joked with her doctors that it ‘must be time for my 100,000 mile check-up, although it’s the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon.’
She continued: ‘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.’
However, she reassured fans she has no plans to retire soon. ‘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,” she wrote. ‘I love you and thank you for understanding.’
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.
