Dolly Parton Shares Health Update While Announcing Plans for Museum

The singer, 80, is gearing up to debut her SongTeller Hotel in Nashville in September 2026, among other projects

Dolly Parton is sharing an update on her health as she announces the debut of a new museum celebrating her life in Nashville.

Parton, 80, tells PEOPLE on Friday, Aug. 21, that even though she has recently been through some “hard times with my health,” she’s still keeping busy. “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she says, referring to caring for her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82.

She also notes that this isn’t the first time she’s had to deal with health concerns, recalling a period in the early 1980s when she was “down for several months with female issues.”

“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she says. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”

Parton says that while her tour life may look different than the past, she’s working on a new way to give fans a musical experience. She and her team have been collaborating with companies who create “avatar performances,” Parton says, adding that they are in the “early stages of development.”

The update comes one week after Parton appeared via video for the opening of her amusement park Dollywood’s newest ride, NightFlight Expedition, instead of in person. In the clip, which featured Parton with butterfly wings flapping behind her, the “Jolene” singer said that her doctors had advised her against making the trip to Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

“I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,” she said, according to fan video shared to social media on Aug. 14. “So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’ So I guess if your doctor tells you, ‘You ain’t traveling this week,’ you ain’t traveling this week.”

Despite the ongoing health issues, Parton remains as ambitious as ever. She also recently announced plans for her forthcoming Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville, which will offer fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with the country legend’s life and stories. It is the “largest exhibit celebrating her life anywhere in the world,” according to the museum’s website.

Parton says that the museum came to life after she serendipitously found the perfect space in downtown Nashville, which is also home to her new SongTeller Hotel, set to welcome its first guests in September 2026.

“I am so proud of this. We found this location early one morning. I knew I wanted to do something special in Nashville, and until I saw this building, nothing ever hit me as the right thing to do,” Parton tells PEOPLE. “I saw a copy of my book Songteller in the lobby of what once was this office building. After touring it and seeing the location, I knew this was it. I wanted to join all my Nashville friends downtown, but I didn’t just want it to be another bar. So we found a way to bring in my museum on the third floor and make it really special.”

As if she weren’t busy enough, Parton is working on a new line of dog treats with Purina, and is particularly excited about the launch of Cup of Ambition Coffee. Created in partnership with Community Coffee, Parton says the project has been on her mind for the past four decades.

“That’s a dream I’ve had for over 40 years, ever since I wrote the line about ‘cup of ambition’ in my song ‘9 to 5,’” Parton says. “But, you know, some dreams take longer to come to life than others.”

Parton shares that she expects Cup of Ambition Coffee to be available online for nationwide shipping starting in September.

On Aug. 14, Parton debuted the much-anticipated NightFlight Expedition at a ride dedication event. It’s the park’s 11th coaster, and marks the “largest single attraction investment in Dollywood’s history,” according to a statement from the park.

Via: People