Dolly Parton cancelled a planned appearance at Dollywood on doctor's orders

Dolly Parton cancelled a planned appearance at Dollywood on Wednesday (17.09.25) after kidney stones trouble.

The country music icon, 79, was due to be at the launch of the all-new Night Flight Expedition ride in 2026 at her theme park in Tennessee, but on doctor's orders she stayed home.

In a video message shown at the event, she said: "Hello Dollywood! It's me.

"I know — and I'm here, and you're there. And you're wondering why that is? Well, I had a little problem. I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it'd given me an infection, and the doctor said, 'You don't need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.'"

Reassuring fans she'll be just fine, she continued: "He suggested I not go to Dollywood today, but I'm there with you in spirit. I was looking so forward to it. Don't worry about me, I'm gonna be okay. Just can't do it today."

The Jolene hitmaker's health trouble comes amid a challenging year for Dolly after the tragic loss of her husband Carl Dean.

Her beloved husband of 58 years died in March at the age of 82.