Dolly Parton is turning 80 in January, but she’s definitely not slowing down. Despite some recent health issues, the iconic singer and former “The Voice” guest mentor shared her plans to continue to work as hard as ever.
Dolly Parton Shares Her Thoughts on Aging After Dealing With Health Issues
In a November 2025 interview with People, Parton, who is dealing with health concerns, shared her outlook on aging.
“Everybody says, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years,” the singer said.
She continued, “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 … “
Parton added, “I think there’s a lot to be said about 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.”
Dolly Parton Gave Fans a Health Update: ‘Do I Look Sick to You?’
In September, Parton announced that she needed to postpone her Las Vegas shows due to “health challenges.”
After rumors swirled about the singer’s health, Parton took to Instagram on October 8 to set the record straight.
“I wanted to say, I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here!” Parton said.
She continued, “Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate. And I appreciate your prayers ’cause I’m a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I’m okay.”
The country star explained that she neglected her health when her husband was ill and after he passed away.
“I’ve got some problems as I’ve mentioned. 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,” she said. “So I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of.”
She finally put her health first, noting the doctor told her, “We need to take care of this, we need to take care of that.”
“Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things to be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I’m having a few treatments here and there,” Parton said.
The singer assured, “But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying … There’s just a lot of rumors flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay … I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working.”
“So I love you for caring and keep praying for me,” Parton added.
