Country music legend Dolly Parton said in recent interview that she is “still workin’,” despite going through some “hard times” with her health, but live performances could look very different in the future, as her team is looking into developing "avatar performances."
The “9 to 5” singer was unable to attend the opening last week of a new NightFlight Expedition attraction at her Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge due to health concerns. Instead, she spoke to fans virtually, saying her doctor advised against making the 200-mile trip.
“I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,” she said.
In a new interview with People, Parton, 80,
said she put her own health aside while caring for her late husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, who died at age 82 in March 2025.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she said.
But, Parton added that rumors related to her health and career have been “magnified” by social media. She isn't retiring. To the contrary, she is working on a tech-savvy strategy to continue connecting with fans even when she can't be there in person.
“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told People. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago.”
Parton, 80, canceled her Las Vegas residency earlier this year citing health concerns. In October 2025, speculation on social media about Parton’s health prompted her to post a video in which she joked that she “ain’t dead yet.”
“I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI!” she said. “Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Parton said that she and her team are exploring new ways to offer musical experiences for fans. She’s working with companies that create “avatar performances,” saying they’re in “early stages of development.”
Her video appearance at the Dollywood opening featured Parton with butterfly wings flapping behind her.
In that video, Parton told fans that “all is going well on the medical end of things.” Meanwhile, she’s working hard on big projects that include her new SongTeller Hotel, expected to open next month.
She’s also hard at work on her Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville and forthcoming Broadway show in New York, "Dolly: A True Original Musical."
She’s also working with Community Coffee on a new line of products dubbed “Cup of Ambition Coffee,” which she expects to be available online for shipping nationwide in September.
“That’s a dream I’ve had for over 40 years, ever since I wrote the line about ‘cup of ambition’ in my song ‘9 to 5,’” Parton said. “But, you know, some dreams take longer to come to life than others.”
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dolly Parton reveals she is working on new projects despite 'hard times’ with health
