Dolly Parton addresses health concerns on milestone 80th birthday: ‘Just getting started’

Dolly Parton shared a positive health update with fans on Monday, revealing that after a year filled with doctor’s visits, she is now “doing fine”. The legendary country singer, who celebrated her milestone 80th birthday on the same day, spoke to People about how she felt entering her ninth decade of life.

“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what?” she told the publication. “Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started.”

“I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine,” she continued. Fans shared their concerns for Dolly several times in 2025, including when she canceled her Las Vegas residency in September due to “a few procedures” she had to undergo.

However, the blonde beauty shared that she still had many years left in her, despite her age. “If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about,” she said.

Dolly added that she was excited to have achieved so much in her 80 years. “Not that anybody would want to celebrate that, but there is a celebration in the fact that I have done so much in that time and that I’m still doing it,” she shared.

“I don’t know what I’m going to be doing tomorrow. Whatever comes, I’ll give it my best.” The “Jolene” singer revealed in an October update on social media that she was recovering well despite her sister’s social media post, in which Freida Parton asked fans to pray for the musician.

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“I know lately, everybody thinks I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you?” Dolly asked fans in an Instagram video shared shortly after her sister’s post.

Learn more about Dolly’s health journey below…

“I’m okay. I’ve got some problems, as I mentioned,” she continued. “Back when my husband Carl was very sick – that was for a long time. And then, when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself. So, I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.” Carl Dean, whom Dolly was married to for almost 60 years, passed away on March 3, 2025, aged 82.

“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,” she added. “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working.”

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Several of Dolly’s friends and peers in the music industry shared birthday tributes to the Grammy winner on her special day, including country stars Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson. Keith shared a recording of himself singing Dolly’s song “Applejack” at just 10 years old. “You’ve been a massive inspiration to me for a long time, darling,” he said in the video.

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“Thank you for everything that you’ve ever done, musically, humanly…the songs you’ve written, the people you’ve helped…the goodness that you’ve brought into the world with your heart and your curiosity and your passion and your insane musical gift.”

Lainey recalled the first time she met Dolly in a compilation video, and explained that the star made her feel “like we had known each other forever”.