Dolly Parton’s sister, Freida Parton, has asked for prayers for the country singer amid her ongoing health issues.
Dolly, 79, announced last month that she has postponed her upcoming Las Vegas residency in order to undergo a series of medical procedures.
The “9 to 5” singer wrote in a statement at the time: “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!
“In all seriousness, given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
In a new Facebook post, per local paper the Nashville Tennessean, Freida wrote: “Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately.
“I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.”
She concluded: “She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
Dolly’s Vegas residency will now run from September 17 to September 26, 2026.
Earlier this year, the singer-songwriter’s longtime husband Carl Dean died at the age of 82.
Dolly appeared at her Tennessee theme park Dollywood just weeks later, telling fans she wanted “some fun” after a difficult few weeks.
She told the crowd: “I need to laugh, I need some fun, so I’m probably gonna be stupid. I’ve been crying enough the last week or two.”
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In a subsequent interview, she told Knox News that she was “doing better than I thought I would”, as she revealed that Dean had “suffered a great deal.”
“I’m at peace knowing that he’s at peace, but that doesn’t keep me from missing him and loving him,” she said. “It’s a hole in my heart, you know, but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll always be with me.”
The two were married for almost 60 years.
