Dolly Parton is “taking good care of herself” and is in a “good place” amid her ongoing health issues.
The country music legend gave a great update on Friday as he delivered the keynote address at the grand opening of his historic Dollywood theme park for its 41st season.
“I haven’t been on tour, as you know, I’ve had a few health problems, and we’re taking good care of ourselves,” she assured the audience, adding that the death of her husband, Carl Dean, last year had also been difficult for her.
“I just got tired and exhausted, crying about Carl and a lot of other little things that were going on,” Parton explained. “I just got kind of where I needed to be to build myself up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, everything is going well.”
In her first public appearance in months, Parton stunned in a glittery sequined gown and styled her platinum blonde hair in a signature, voluminous updo.
She was joined on stage by the president of the Dollywood Company, Eugene Naughton, and joked that fans might mistake him for her “new husband.”
But Parton, 80, confirmed that she is “not dating anyone.”
“I think Carl Dean is waiting for me. If I get to the pearly gates with someone else, he’s not going to like that. He’s going to be like, ‘Who’s that little boy? You left him outside the gates,'” he laughed.
Her happy appearance comes two months after Parton was forced to skip her 80th birthday celebration at the Grand Ole Opry due to her continued health struggles.
One week before the ceremony, the site of the icon shared an Instagram Reel of the singer “Jolene” sadly confirming that she will have to miss it, but she told her fans to “have a great night” and showed her gratitude for the ceremony.
Last September, Parton announced she was postponing her Las Vegas residency due to “health challenges.”
“I want the fans and the public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming concerts in Las Vegas. As many of you know, I have been facing some health challenges, and my doctors told me that I should have several procedures,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.
The “9 to 5” singer clarified that she “still manages to work through it all [her] projects” in Nashville, where he lives, but he “just needs[s] less time to prepare the show.”
Parton ended her post by telling fans, “I love you and thank you for understanding.”
Earlier that month, Parton pulled out of Dollywood due to kidney stones. In a video message recorded to fans, he said he was following his doctors’ advice to rest.
“It turned out to be an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to leave right now, so you need a few days to get better,'” she said. So he suggested I not go to Dollywood today.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” he added. “I can’t do it today.”
Three months later, Parton’s daughter, Miley Cyrus, gave a positive review about the “Steel Magnolias” star.
“He will always be on the show,” Cyrus told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “The program must go on. He is very happy to be back at work.”
