Dolly Parton looked energetic and happy during her final public appearance before her death, as she discussed her ongoing “health issues” with fans.
The legendary country star has died at the age of 80, her cousin Bryan Seaver confirmed in an Instagram video on Tuesday.
Just days earlier, on August 14, she was scheduled to attend the grand opening of the new NightFlight Expedition attraction at her Dollywood theme park, but pulled out at the last minute.
Instead, a video recording of the star addressing her fans was shared on a screen in the park, now marking her final public appearance.
In the clip, which was shared by a fan on TikTokParton wore a bright pink top decorated with gemstones and huge butterfly wings.
She seemed bright and cheerful as ever, even as she revealed that she could not attend due to orders from her doctors.
Legendary country star Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80
She looked energetic and happy in her last public appearance before her death, as she discussed her ongoing ‘health issues’ with fans
“I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that,” she said in the clip. “I have to be there in person, as planned.”
She explained that she “gets a little dizzy sometimes” and “dehydrated,” which is why she couldn’t attend in person.
“I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had some little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,” she said.
“So my doctor from Nashville kind of clipped my wings and said, ‘You’re not traveling this week.’
“So I think if your doctor tells you, ‘You’re not traveling this week,’ you’re not traveling this week.”
Still, the Jolene singer insisted that “medically everything went well.”
She added that she was “continuing to work on her other projects,” including the hotel she owns in downtown Nashville, the SongTeller Hotel, her Life of Many Colors Museum and the upcoming Broadway show about her life, titled Dolly: A True Original Musical.
Days later during an interview with PeopleParton went on to talk about her “health issues.”
On August 14, she was scheduled to attend the grand opening of the new NightFlight Expedition attraction at her Dollywood theme park, but pulled out at the last minute. Instead, a video recording of the star addressing her fans was shared on a screen in the park
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed in an Instagram video posted by her cousin Bryan Seaver, who was also her head of security.
“I’m dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she said, referring to her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who passed away in March 2025.
“It’s not that I haven’t had some tough times with my health, but I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything is magnified in ways that weren’t the case years ago.
“I used to joke that I was the queen of tabloids, but now I think I can say I’m the queen of social media AI! But seriously, even though I’m still healing, I’m still working.”
“I still have so many things I want to accomplish, so I’ll keep working as long as I can to see it all come to life,” she added.
Aside from video appearances, she was last seen on June 24 when she attended the grand opening of her truck stop, Dolly’s Tennesseean Travel Stop.
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed in an Instagram video posted by her cousin Seaver, who was also her head of security.
“This video announcement is something that Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver revealed.
He praised his aunt for “living in the light” and said she was now “in the arms of Jesus” and in the company of her late husband Dean, as well as her parents and “countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in heaven.”
Parton is pictured in her latest Instagram post, which was uploaded on August 12
Aside from video appearances, she was last seen on June 24 when she attended the grand opening of her truck stop, Dolly’s Tennesseean Travel Stop (seen)
Parton’s well-known hits include Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You
The Queen of Country enjoyed a music career that spanned no less than six decades
Often referred to as the Queen of Country, Parton enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned six decades and was perhaps best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5.
Her death followed months of health problems that saw her withdraw from a series of public appearances, fueling fans’ fears for her well-being.
Seaver fondly recalls joining Parton on tour when he was a child in the 1980s, saying that she “opened doors not only for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential that we didn’t even know was possible.”
He characterized her as ‘a farmer’s wife, just like her father.’
‘He tilled the soil, she tilled songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful soft cotton bed because after a lifetime of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to feel comfortable and have some rest,” he said.
