Dolly Parton opened up about ‘hard times’ with her health in her final interview days before her death age 80

Dolly Parton spoke about “hard times” with her health in her final interview, just days before her death at age 80. 

“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she told People in an August interview. She joked she’d become the “queen of social media” in recent years. 

“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 workin’.”

Parton explained that some of her recent health concerns were just old issues that she had previously ignored, in the interview published on Friday August 21.

“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she explained. 

She was referring to caring for her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82.

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Elsewhere in the interview she explained that touring does look different now, but she was working on a new way to give fans a unique musical experience. 

Parton explained that she and her team had been collaborating with companies that create “avatar performances” and they were in the early stages of development. 

Parton’s last public appearance was a virtual one, appearing on screen a week prior on August 19 to accept the ACM Poet’s Award at the ACM Honors. 

It’s not clear when the video message from the Jolene singer was recorded. 

“I just want to send a very special thank you to the Academy of Country Music for honoring me with the Poet’s Award,” Parton said in a video message shared via Instagram.

“You know, I’ve been able to do many things throughout my life, but at my core, songwriting has always been the most important part of who I am creatively.”

For Parton, she explained that songwriting has always been “therapy.” 

“Every dream I ever had, and all the dreams that I’ve been able to see come true in life, well, they all started with a song. Songwriting has been my therapy,” she continued. 

“Songwriting has been my release, my joy. Songwriting has been a gift from God that has allowed me to touch people with words and music.”

She appeared in the video message wearing a long-sleeved cream top, and was seated for the message.

Parton’s nephew Brian Seaver announced the news on behalf of the family in a social media video on Wednesday August 26 (AEST).

He explained the video kept a promise he said he had made his famous aunt years earlier.

“My name is Brin Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver said.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.

“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.

“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”

In a secondary statement, the family revealed that “at Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family”.

They requested anyone thinking of sending flowers, to instead donate to Parton’s Imagination Library, which gifts about 3 million books to kids worldwide each month.