Fans are growing increasingly worried about Dolly Parton after her younger sister, Freida, made an emotional plea on Facebook asking for prayers. The post comes just over a week after the 79-year-old country legend announced she was postponing her highly anticipated Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace due to “health challenges.”
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Freida, 68, wrote. “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.” She added, “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!”
Dolly Parton's candid message
Freida’s post follows Dolly’s own heartfelt message to fans on Instagram, where she confirmed she would have to postpone her 6-run show in December. “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. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up — although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Still, Dolly made it clear she wasn’t about to shortchange her fans. “In all seriousness, I’m 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,” she wrote. “You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
She ended the message staying optimistic. “Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stoppin’ 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.”
While Dolly didn’t share specific details about her health, she recently battled a kidney stone and infection, forcing her to skip a Dollywood event earlier this year. “Hello Dollywood! It’s me! I know, I’m here and you’re there and wondering why that is,” Parton said in a pre-recorded message shown to parkgoers. “I had a little problem. I had a kidney stone."
The news also comes months after the loss of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who passed on March 3, a personal heartbreak that fans suspect has taken an emotional toll.
Still, even amid health scares and loss, from Dolly's message, she's looking forward. As Freida put it best: “She’s strong. She’s loved. And with all of us praying for her, she’s going to be just fine.”