Dolly Parton is not slowing down anytime soon.
Ahead of the release of her new book, “Star of the Show: My Life on Stage,” the country music legend — whose husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March — opened up about her impressive career spanning more than seven decades, got candid about the personal sacrifices she’s made throughout the years and explained why she feels like she’s “just getting started” as she gears up to turn 80 years old.
“You know, I have just been going so fast my whole life,” Parton, 79, told People magazine. “And I just start thinking, ‘How in the world did I even have a life? How did I even get it done?’ I really realized when I was putting this book together just how much I had sacrificed in my life. I never had children, so at least I didn’t have a guilty feeling. I’m thankful that I got to see my dreams come true.”
“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started,” said Parton. “I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine… I think there’s a lot to be said about age. If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about.”
Parton has battled various health issues over the past few months, and in September, sparked concern among fans when she announced that she would be postponing her upcoming Las Vegas residency from December 2025 to September 2026.
In October, the country icon took to social media to give a much-anticipated update on her health, saying she was “not dying” just yet.
“Well, today’s October the eighth, and obviously I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kind of like a country western girl,” Parton said in a video posted on Instagram. “But before I got started, I wanted to say, I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.”
“Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease,” she continued. “Those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate, and I appreciate your prayers because I’m a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I’m okay. I’ve got some problems. As I mentioned back when my husband, Carl, was very sick. That was for a long time. And then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.”
Parton said her doctor urged her to take care of a few things, but reassured her fans it was “nothing major.”
“I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there,” she said. “But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying.
“But anyway, there’s just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay,” she concluded. “So anyhow, that’s what I wanted to say, and I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working. I love you for caring and keep praying for me.”
She captioned the post, “I ain’t dead yet!”
Throughout her career, Parton has faced both personal and professional challenges but has managed to find ways to overcome life’s obstacles.
“You have to grow into things, and you have to grow out of things; that’s how I handled my career,” Parton told People. “I needed to try things. A lot of people think because you’re a girl, you don’t always know what you’re doing. I don’t care about what other people are doing. I only care about what I need to be doing.”
“I’m not trying to outdo anybody except me. I just want to be my best self at all times and try to improve every day,” she said. “It wasn’t about just being rich; it was about being successful at what I love to do. Dreams nor wishes come true without a lot of hard work.”
Her faith, Parton said, plays a big part.
“I don’t try to tell other people how to do it, how to be, but I know who I am,” Parton said. “I’m a star to everybody but me. I’m just a working girl. I always just say that I’m a workhorse that looks like a show horse.”
Looking ahead, Parton is gearing up for her next major career move: the stage production “Dolly: A True Original Musical,” which is set to open on Broadway in 2026.
“I’m at that point in my life where I just want to be able to do good things that can be carried on. I’m proud of my legacy so far, and I hope to just continue to do things that might be of use to other people,” she told the outlet.
“I’ve had to wear my heart on my sleeve for a long time now, and I cry easier than I used to. But it’s just leaving your life wide open for everybody to look right at you, right through you and right into you … I hope they see my heart.”
