Country Legend Dolly Parton Opens Up About Health Struggles While Keeping the Music Going

The country music icon is 80 years old and still performing despite ongoing health problems. She put her own well‑being on the back burner while she cared for her husband of six decades, Carl Dean. Dean passed away in March 2025 at the age of 82. In a recent interview she explained that she simply ignored her own symptoms while she was watching over him.

She also recalled a difficult period in the early 1980s when she was bedridden for several months because of a health issue. She said that today’s nonstop social media scene makes any ailment feel bigger than it once did. She joked that she used to be the queen of tabloids but now she is the queen of social media AI. Earlier this year she had to cancel a Las Vegas show because of her condition. She could not travel to the opening of a new NightFlight Expedition ride at Dollywood and instead spoke to fans online. Her doctor warned her against a 200‑mile trip.