Dolly Parton shared a health update after missing her theme park's Dollywood Hall of Fame ceremony.
The 79-year-old country icon shared the video on social media on Wednesday after missing the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) ceremony held on Monday in Orlando, Florida.
“Well, hi, this is Dolly,” Parton began. “And I really wish I could be with you in person today, but you may have heard that I've been having a few health issues this fall and my doctors have advised me to take it easy a little bit.”
Parton said she was “truly sorry” she couldn't attend, but she still wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone for the “incredible honor,” including Jack and Peter Herschend, her partners who co-own the Dollywood theme park.
“And to Jack and Peter, hey, thanks for being my partners and friends for over 40 years,” she said. “You've been a blessing to me and I love you very much. You know, our partnership is really special. I trust them and they trust me and they always listen when I come up with one of my great ideas and dreams.”
Parton also thanked the couple and the amazing team at Dollywood for finding “a way to make these dreams come true.”
“I still remember when I had the big idea for Dollywood. I dreamed of a place right here in the Smoky Mountains where my family could perform, and where we could provide steady employment for the good people in our community – and where families could come and laugh, play, have fun and make memories together,” she said, before adding that she was “nervous” before the theme park opened in 1986.
“I was as nervous as a child waiting to see if anyone would come to his birthday party,” said Jolene said the singer. “I looked out the window of my bus, saw all these cars lined up, and would you believe it? They're still lined up.”
Parton said she was “very grateful that you consider me worthy of this recognition.”
Get the latest national news
To stay on top of news affecting Canada and the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as they happen.
“Induction into the IAAPA Hall of Fame is a great and incredible way to help celebrate Dollywood's 40th anniversary season,” she added.
Parton said she is the second woman ever to take office in her own right and the fourth woman in IAAPA's 100-year history.
“So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this honor from me and from everyone who makes Dollywood what it is,” she said, before adding, “Remember that I will always love you.”
Parton's absence comes after she actually received an honorary Oscar last weekend at the Governor's Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.
On November 16, she accepted the Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences remotely from Tennessee.
Standing next to her Oscar, Parton shared a video message to the Academy, calling the recognition a “blessing of a lifetime.”
“I grew up in a house with 12 kids,” Parton began. “Now that alone teaches you the importance of sharing. Don't get me wrong, we didn't have much to share. But my mom and dad showed me by example that the more you give, the more blessings come to you.”
“And I've been luckier than I ever could have imagined, like tonight with this award,” Parton added. “I'm honored just to be counted, but to receive this, I mean, it's a blessing for life. And I don't take these kinds of things lightly. It makes me dream of new ways to help lift people up.”
So, from the bottom of my heart to you, I sincerely thank you,” Parton said before picking up her award.
Earlier this year Parton postponed her first Las Vegas residency at 32 due to “health problems.”
“As many of you know, I have health issues and my doctors are telling me I need to have several procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000 mile checkup, although this is no ordinary trip to my plastic surgeon!” she wrote in the ad posted on Instagram.
Parton also told her fans that “lately everyone thinks I'm sicker than I actually am.” another health update shared in October.
“Like I said, I have some issues,” Parton said. “When my husband Carl was very sick – it was a long time – and then when he died, I didn't take care of myself, so I missed a lot of things that I should have taken care of. Anyway, when I got to that point, the doctor said, 'We need to take care of this.' We need to take care of this.”
She noted that it was “nothing serious” but that she had to “cancel some things so I could be closer to home” and closer to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, “where I'm kind of getting a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I'm not dying.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
