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'SWIMMY HEADED'

Dolly Parton Axes Residency Amid Health Scare

Parton’s last tour was in 2016.

Muskaan ArshadBreaking News Intern

PublishedMay 4, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT

UpdatedMay 4, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT

Updated May 4, 2026, 5:08 PM EDTPublished May 4, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT

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Dolly Parton has canceled her first set of shows in nearly a decade.

The iconic country singer was set to begin a Las Vegas residency in September, but had to cancel due to ongoing health issues and treatment that has made her “a little swimmy headed.”​

“Of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels — and you know that I’m going to be wearing them,” the 80-year-old quipped in a Monday announcement on her social media.​

Parton has not specified what is currently ailing her, but has assuaged fans that great doctors are on her case.

“They assure me everything I have is treatable,” she said, adding that she’s been “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day.”

She did, however, state that her body’s tendency to develop kidney stones has weakened her health and that her immune and digestive systems have been “all outta whack,” joking, “They dig more stones out of me here than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee.”

Parton’s Vegas residency, titled Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, was originally scheduled for December 2025 at Caesars Palace but was rescheduled to September 2026 due to unspecified “health challenges.”

She also withdrew from various public appearances, including the 2025 ceremony where she was to receive an honorary Oscar.

“I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” Parton said during the keynote address for Dollywood’s 41st anniversary in March, referring to the death of her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, in 2025.

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But fans can expect the “Jolene” singer to jump right back on her feet. “This thing for me is like an old classic car that once restored, can be better than ever,” she teased in her Monday video.

“I am truly sorry that I’m going to miss all of you that had tickets to see me in Las Vegas. Well, you get on to Vegas, and you have a big time…And I’ll see you somewhere down the line,” she concluded the post.

Parton last performed a series of concerts during her twelfth headlining tour, the Pure & Simple tour, which ended in 2016.

Muskaan ArshadBreaking News Intern

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