In mid September, Dolly Parton abruptly canceled a Dollywood appearance. Fans were concerned, but Dolly explained that she was suffering from a kidney stone and needed to take some time to put her health first. She announced a couple of weeks later that she was postponing her Vegas residency by nine months. In a follow up video posted in early October, Dolly shared that she was OK now, but had been neglecting her health while taking care of her husband Carl, who passed in March. Thankfully, Dolly’s taking her doctor’s orders seriously and has been laying low. She also just released a new book called Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, which features 350 photographs and personal stories from over the course of her career. In honor of the book’s release, Dolly sat down with People sometime over the summer for a cover story to talk about the book, her legacy, and how for her, age ain’t nothing but a number. A source also gave People an update about Dolly’s health.
“Dolly is getting better every day,” a source close to Parton tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story.
“She is at home taking care of herself while many friends and family visit her,” the source adds of Parton, 79, who just released her new book Star of the Show: My Life on Stage. “In true Dolly spirit she has already started decorating for the holidays — her favorite time of year.”
Nearly two months before she postponed the string of concerts due to “health challenges,” Parton sat down with PEOPLE for a cover shoot and interview. During the discussion, she opened up about her busy schedule, as well as her upcoming 80th birthday, which she’ll celebrate in January.
“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,” she tells PEOPLE. “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.”
In her new book Star of the Show, Parton looks back at her seven-decade career and what she’s learned.
“I’m at that point in my life where I just want to be able to do good things that can be carried on,” she says. “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.”
I hope to have Dolly’s attitude and fire (and her looks and athleticism) when I’m 80! She has that Alexander Hamilton ‘non-stop’ energy. I have no doubt that she’s going to continue to work for as long as she can because she truly loves what she does. That said, Dolly has always been a very private person, so I won’t speculate beyond what’s already been made public, but it sounds like she’s taking her health seriously, and it’s great to hear that she’s on the mend. I truly admire her work ethic and her spirit, but I hope she continues to listen to her body and get rest when she needs it. Of course she’s already decorating her house for Christmas! I love decorating for the holidays, so that would make me feel happy and relaxed too. Also, her book looks fantastic. I need to put that one and Michelle Obama’s new coffee table book on my Christmas list.
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