Growing Worries for Dolly Parton as Her Sister Calls for Prayers

There’s a real wave of worry rippling through the country music scene right now—Dolly Parton’s sister is reaching out to fans, asking them to keep the 79-year-old legend in their thoughts and prayers.

Dolly’s loved ones are turning to her massive fanbase for support as she deals with some lingering health issues that have already made her pull out of a few big events. Her sister Freida Parton shared a raw, emotional post on Facebook this Tuesday, opening up about how she’s been losing sleep over it.

“I spent the whole night awake, just praying for my sister Dolly,” Freida posted. “A lot of you have heard she’s not been at her peak lately.”

Freida kept the specifics under wraps about what exactly is going on with Dolly, but this comes hot on the heels of the singer delaying her much-hyped Las Vegas shows because of doctor’s orders.

“I wanted to tell you all myself that I’m sadly going to have to push back my Las Vegas gigs,” Dolly wrote on Instagram last week. “Like some of you know, I’ve got a few health things going on, and the docs say I need some procedures done.”

What’s Been Going On with Her Health

Even in tough times like this, Dolly’s got that unbreakable spirit and deep faith we all love her for. She added a bit of reassurance: “No need to fret about me hanging up my boots—God hasn’t given me the signal to stop just yet.”

It was only last month when she talked about dealing with a kidney stone that turned into an infection, which meant she had to skip out on an event at Dollywood in Tennessee.

“It ended up causing an infection, and my doctor was like, ‘You shouldn’t be on the road right now; take a few days to recover,’” she told People magazine. “He advised against heading to Dollywood that day, but hey, I’m with y’all in spirit.”

Despite these bumps, the Tennessee queen has been keeping busy as ever—teasing a new musical about her life, dropping a kids’ book, and teaming up with Good American for some jeans.

As of Tuesday evening, there’s no fresh word from her team on how she’s doing.

The Heartbreak of Losing Her Husband

Freida’s holding onto hope and faith, urging everyone to join in. “She’s tough, she’s got so much love around her, and with all these prayers, I just know deep down she’ll pull through,” she wrote. “Hang in there, sis Dolly. We all adore you!”

This year, 2025, has hit Dolly hard. She lost her husband of almost 60 years, Carl Dean, back on March 3 at 82. It was less than 10 years after they renewed their vows, cherishing a love that stayed mostly out of the spotlight.

They tied the knot in 1966 when Dolly was only 20, and their quiet, rock-solid partnership stood the test of time through all the stardom and ups and downs. It’s one of those rare, inspiring stories in country music.

Through the pain, Dolly leans on her beliefs. “Faith is everything to me, and I really think I’ll see him again one day. He’s in my thoughts and heart every single day,” she said in a May 2025 chat with the Associated Press.

To fans everywhere, Dolly feels like part of the family. Now her actual family is hoping all those who’ve ever been touched by her songs will send some good vibes her way. You’ve got this, Dolly!

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