Dolly Parton’s manager has shared a hopeful update on the singer’s health after her sister caused concern by asking fans to “pray with me.”
The 79-year-old “Jolene” singer announced at the end of September that she was cancelling an upcoming Las Vegas residency due to “health challenges.”
It was subsequently reported Dolly wouldn’t make it to the annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles in November to pick up an honorary Oscar.
Olly Rowland, Dolly’s manager, has now confirmed that the “9 to 5” singer is dealing with kidney stones. As reported by Metro, he added: “The procedure she needs [is] to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”
Rowland’s statement follows a Facebook post by Dolly’s sister, Freida, asking fans to “pray with me.” Freida also said, “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 led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me. 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!”
Freida
Understandably Freida’s statement caused concern among fans. Frieda returned to Facebook last night (Tuesday 7 October) to clarify things.
“I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly. She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference.”
Freida
When Dolly announced she was cancelling her Las Vegas residency she sought to assuage concerns about her health saying, “Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet.”
She added, “You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.” She also said, “I just need a little time to get show ready, as they say.”
In March, Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, died after being “ill for quite a while”.
Dolly Parton’s Health Challenges
The country music legend set the record straight on her health ‘challenges’ after her sister asked fans to pray for her welfare.
The star’s younger sibling Freidasent fans into a frenzy after writing on social media that she was “up all night praying” for Dolly, who recently cancelled her winter Ceasars’ Palace gigs.
While fans are flooded with relief that Dolly’s diagnosis isn’t anything more serious, it’s not the first time she’s faced medical setbacks. The star has battled a number of health issues, with one agonising issue changing her life forever.
In 2017, the country star candidly discussed her health struggles in her autobiography ‘Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton’.
She was just 35-years-old when illness first struck, as she admitted: “I was getting away with murder. I wasn’t watching what I ate, I wasn’t conscious of nutrition, wasn’t taking care of myself.”
These complications surfaced following Dolly’s massive triumph with her chart-topper ‘9 to 5’ and her silver screen debut in ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ during the 1980s.
In 1984, Dolly’s health took a turn for the worse when she collapsed on stage in Indianapolis, having ignored medical advice not to perform.
She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere, such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries, according to the NHS. At just 36, she was forced to have a partial hysterectomy, heartbreakingly ending her chances of carrying children.
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