What is wrong with Dolly Parton? Her health issue explained

In September 2025, Dolly was forced to withdraw from an appearance at Dollywood to announce the latest attraction coming to the theme park. Ahead of the news that the park would unveil the Night Flight Expedition ride in 2026, a video of the country legend was shown to the audience. In the clip, Dolly revealed that she was absent from the event because she was recovering from kidney stones and couldn't travel as per the doctor's orders.

"Hello Dollywood! It's me," she said. "I know — and I'm here, and you're there. And you're wondering why that is? Well, I had a little problem. I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it'd given me an infection, and the doctor said, 'You don't need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.' He suggested I not go to Dollywood today, but I'm there with you in spirit. I was looking so forward to it. Don't worry about me, I'm gonna be okay. Just can't do it today."

Shortly after, Dolly announced on Instagram that due to her "health challenges," she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency. "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… 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."

She added: "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."

Dolly's sister, Freida Parton, sparked more concern when she shared a Facebook post on October 7.  "Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn't been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me," Frieda wrote. 

"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!" she added. However, after an overwhelming response and concern for Dolly, Freida shared another message admitting she had not meant to make her sister's condition sound so serious with her earlier post.

"I want to clear something up," she said on Facebook. "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. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference."

Following Freida's social media post, Dolly's manager, Olly Rowland, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on October 7 that the "Jolene" singer's health issue has been "blown out of proportion," confirming she is still dealing with kidney stones. Olly said: "It's just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly."

On Wednesday, Dolly shared her own message about her health, posting a video on Instagram and insisting, "I ain't dead yet!" She added: "I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate. I appreciate your prayers, 'cause I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I'm okay."

Admitting she neglected her health after her late husband, Carl Dean's, death in March 2025, Dolly said: "I let a lot of things go that I should've been taking care of. So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, we need to take care of this. We need to take care of that. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], where I'm kind of having a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I'm not dying."

"Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. They can vary in size and are often composed of calcium oxalate, but can also contain other compounds like uric acid, struvite, or cystine," Dr Raj Arora of The Facebible told HELLO!

"Kidney stones can cause severe pain, often described as one of the most intense sensations a person can experience, typically in the side of the abdomen, back, or groin. Kidney stones can also obstruct urine flow, leading to symptoms such as frequent urination, painful urination, or blood in the urine (haematuria)," Dr Raj added. "Stones can also increase the risk of urinary tract infections by causing obstructions that allow bacteria to grow. In severe cases, if not treated, stones can lead to kidney damage or even kidney failure."

According to Dr Raj, "for recurring or particularly troublesome kidney stones, medical intervention may be necessary." While neither Dolly nor her team has shared her treatment plan, Dr Raj explained that common procedures to treat kidney stones include Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL), a "non-invasive treatment that uses sound waves to break stones into smaller pieces that can be passed more easily." There is also Ureteroscopy, which uses "a small flexible instrument passed into the ureter to remove or break up a stone." 

Another option is Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy, a procedure used for larger stones. "This procedure involves making a small incision in the back to directly remove stones from the kidney." And in "very rare cases, open surgery may be necessary if other treatments are not effective."

Dr Raj added: "For those who experience recurrent stones, lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, and medications may also be prescribed to prevent future stone formation and to therefore reduce complications and long-term risk from kidney stones."