Dolly Parton appeared bright, upbeat and full of warmth in what would become her final public appearance, speaking candidly to fans about the “health issues” she had been managing.
The country music icon has died at the age of 80, her nephew Bryan Seaver confirmed Tuesday in a video posted to Instagram.
Only days earlier, on August 14, Parton had been expected to appear at Dollywood for the grand opening of NightFlight Expedition, the theme park’s new ride, but she was forced to cancel at the last minute.
In her place, organizers played a prerecorded video message from the beloved entertainer on a screen at the park — a moment that now stands as her last public appearance.
In the clip, which was shared by a fan on TikTok, Parton donned a bright pink top adorned in gems and enormous butterfly wings.
Despite explaining that doctors had advised her not to travel, Parton looked cheerful and spirited, delivering the message with the familiar optimism that defined so much of her public life.
Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at 80
Parton appeared lively and upbeat in her final public appearance, where she spoke to fans about her ongoing “health issues”
“I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that,” she told fans in the clip. “I’m supposed to be there in person like we planned.”
She explained that she ‘sometimes gets a little dizzy’ and ‘dehydrated,’ which is why she couldn’t be there in person.
‘I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,’ she said.
‘So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, “You ain’t traveling this week.”
‘So I guess if your doctor tells you, “You ain’t traveling this week,” you ain’t traveling this week.’
Even so, the Jolene songstress insisted that ‘all was going well on the medical end of things.’
She added that she was ‘continuing to work away on her other projects’ including the hotel she owns in downtown Nashville, SongTeller Hotel, her Life of Many Colors Museum and the upcoming Broadway show about her life, entitled Dolly: A True Original Musical.
Days later during an interview with People, Parton spoke further about her ‘health issues.’
On August 14 she was supposed to attend the grand opening of the new ride NightFlight Expedition at her Dollywood theme park, but pulled out last minute. Instead, a video recording of the star addressing her fans was shared on a screen at the park
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security
‘I am 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 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 healin’, I’m still working.’
‘I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life,’ she added.
Aside from video appearances, she was last seen out and about 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 nephew Seaver, who also served as her head of security.
‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,’ Seaver revealed.
He hailed his aunt for having ‘lived in the light’ and said she was now ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and 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 the heavens.’
Parton is pictured in her final Instagram post, which was uploaded August 12
Aside from video appearances, she was last seen out and about on June 24 when she attended the grand opening of her truck stop, Dolly’s Tennesseean Travel Stop (seen)
Parton’s famous hits include Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You
The Queen of Country enjoyed a music career that spanned an incredible six decades
Parton, who is often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades and was arguably best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5.
Her passing came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fueling fan fears for her wellbeing.
Seaver fondly recalled joining Parton on tour when he was a child in the 1980s, sharing that she ‘opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.’
He characterized her as ‘a farmer, just like her daddy.’
‘He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest,’ he said.
