Dolly Parton’s Doctors Told Singer ‘Flat-Out’ She’s in ‘No Condition’ to Perform Amid Health Woes

Dolly Parton was forced to cancel her rescheduled Las Vegas residency due to yet another devastating health setback as fears grow that the 80-year-old country legend may never perform onstage again, sources say.

The hard-working “9 to 5” songbird broke the bad news to fans on social media. In an Instagram video, Parton confessed that medical treatments were leaving her too “swimmy-headed” to go on with the shows slated for September at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, adding, “Of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels.”

While Dolly insists that she’s “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day,” she also admits, “It’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage-performance level.”

Doctors warn that Dolly is pushing herself too hard.

“It’s good to keep moving, but she has to cut back on the time and pressures of her work if she wants to extend her life,” says longevity expert Dr. Gabe Mirkin, while New York internist Dr. Stuart Fischer warns, “She has to choose between health and career if she wants to survive.” Neither doc has treated her.

Even Dolly admits her digestive and immune systems got “all out of whack” over the last three years.

Shortly after the March 2025 death of Carl Dean, 82 — Dolly’s beloved husband of 58 years — the Nashville icon was diagnosed with kidney stones and an associated infection and canceled multiple engagements, including an in-person appearance at the Governors Awards in November to accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Now, pals say the normally bubbly singer has been a shadow of her formerly vibrant self.

“Dolly is devastated that she’s letting her fans down. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but the doctors told her flat-out that she’s in no condition to be tearing around on stage right now,” an insider confides.

Another source says: “People have been concerned about Dolly for months, with her no-show at the Governors Awards seeming like a red flag that she was having a hard time.

“As desperate as Dolly may be to make a full recovery and get back on stage, the reality is that it’s increasingly unlikely to happen.”