Dolly Parton Skips Dollywood Event After Kidney Stone Infection

Dolly Parton is on the mend after an intense bout with kidney stones forced her to pull out of a Dollywood appearance.

Parton, 79, missed a scheduled visit to her Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park to celebrate the new Night Flight Expedition ride on Wednesday, September 17. Instead, she appeared in a prerecorded video message played for the crowd.

"Hello Dollywood! It's me," Parton said in the clip, which was shared by attendees on X. "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."

Parton, who appeared to be standing in the living room of her Tennessee home, continued, "And the doctor said, ‘You don't need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.' So he suggested I not go to Dollywood today, but I am there with you in spirit and I was looking forward to it."

Parton explained that she and her team had been working on the Night Flight Expedition ride for the past three years. "They say it's the most expensive thing we've ever done," she teased about the attraction, causing the crowd to laugh.

"I'm sorry that I can't be there in person but you have a great time today … I'll be back as quick as I can," she assured her fans. "Don't worry about me, I'm gonna be OK. Just can't do it today."

The video was met with applause from Parton's supporters, who have continued to show their love for the "9 to 5" singer in the months since the death of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean. Parton announced on March 3 that Dean had died at age 82.

"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," she shared in a statement via Instagram at the time.

Dolly PartonJason Kempin/Getty Images

A few days later, Parton thanked everyone for their kind words amid her period of grief.

"This is a love note to family, friends and fans," the Steel Magnolias actress wrote in a note shared via Instagram on March 6. "Thank you for all the messages, cards and flowers that you've sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl. I can't reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me."

Parton and Dean wed in 1966, and for the majority of their marriage, he took a backseat from the limelight. Parton always appreciated Dean's dedication to keeping their relationship private for six decades.

"My mama told me when I was young, ‘Always keep something back for you. You can give what you've got to give, but don't give it all away. Always keep something for you,'" Parton said during a 2022 appearance on The Kelleigh Bannen Show. "I know how to be private. I've known how to keep my husband private. … It's just natural to me, you know, to protect the things and the people I love and to protect my own privacy because I am an open book."

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This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 8:55 AM.