Dolly Parton spoke of ‘hard times with my health’ in final interview

Dolly Parton said she was going through “hard times with my health” in her final interview days before her death at the age of 80.

News of Parton’s death was announced by her family on Tuesday, and her publicist Marcel Pariseau said: “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre surrounded by loved ones.”

The country music singer gave her final interview to People magazine, published on August 21st, where she discussed her recent health difficulties.

The star said she had not paid close attention to her health while she was caring for her late husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 aged 82.

She said: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.

“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health. 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 healing, I’m still working.”

Parton said it was not the first time she had health difficulties, recalling a period in the 1980s when she was “down for several months with female issues.”

The singer also said she and her team had been working with a company that creates “avatar performances” which were “in the early stages of development”.

Parton had recently announced plans for her Life Of Many Colors Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, which will celebrate her life and career and is scheduled to open in October.

In May, Parton pulled out of a highly anticipated Las Vegas residency, which was due to begin in September.

She had earlier postponed her six-date run at The Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace from December 2025 to deal with “health challenges”.

Flags will be lowered throughout America in Parton’s honour, US President Donald Trump announced, posting on Truth Social “there has never been anyone like her”.

At Parton’s request, a small, private funeral service will be held for immediate family, a statement from her family on social media said.

Parton was born in a single-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, in 1946, as the fourth of 12 children.

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Dolly Parton died after ‘brief battle with cancer’, publicist says

She began her musical journey at the age of six, singing in the local church where her grandfather was the pastor.

By the age of 13, she had reached the pinnacle of country music success: an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Over the course of her career, which spanned more than 60 years, Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide and wrote more than 3,000 songs, including hits Coat Of Many Colours and Jolene.