Dolly Parton, the legendary country music star, appeared energized and in good spirits during her last public engagement, a video message to fans on August 14, just 11 days before her death at age 80. The announcement of her passing was confirmed by her nephew, Bryan Seaver.
Parton had been scheduled to attend the grand opening of the NightFlight Expedition ride at her Dollywood theme park but was unable to attend in person. Instead, a pre-recorded video of the singer was shared, showing her wearing a bright pink outfit and butterfly wings. In the clip, she explained that her doctor had advised against travel due to recurring bouts of dizziness and dehydration.
"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," Parton stated in the video. "So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain’t traveling this week.'"
Despite these health advisories, Parton assured her fans that "all was going well on the medical end of things" and that she was continuing to work on various projects, including the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, her Life of Many Colors Museum, and a Broadway show about her life titled "Dolly: A True Original Musical."
In a subsequent interview with People, Parton elaborated on her health, mentioning she had been prioritizing her late husband Carl Thomas Dean's care, who passed away in March 2025. She acknowledged that in today's social media-driven world, health issues can be magnified, but she remained committed to her work.
"Even though I’m still healin’, I’m still working," she said. "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."
Parton's last in-person public appearance was on June 24, when she attended the opening of her truck stop, Dolly's Tennesseean Travel Stop. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security, shared that Parton had requested this video announcement years prior, anticipating a future reality. He remembered her as someone who "opened doors not just for me but for her entire family" and compared her to a farmer, cultivating songs and happiness.
Parton, often called the "Queen of Country," enjoyed a career spanning six decades, achieving widespread fame with hits like "Jolene" and "9 to 5." Her passing followed months of reported health challenges that had led her to withdraw from several public engagements.