Dolly Parton‘s sister Freida is asking fans to pray for the Queen of Country, who “hasn’t been feeling her best lately.” Parton’s health has been top of mind for fans ever since she postponed her Las Vegas residency in late September due to health issues. Neither Parton nor her team has disclosed specifics about the singer’s health challenges.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Freida wrote on social media (via People). “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me,” Freida Parton wrote in a post on Tuesday.
Freida concluded with a heart emoji and added: “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!”
Parton was set to begin a six-show Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace in December. The shows were slated to take place from Dec. 4 through Dec. 13 and would’ve been Parton’s first string of concerts since her “Pure & Simple” tour wrapped up in 2016.
“I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,” Parton posted on Sept. 28. “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon! In all seriousness, given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
Parton added at the time that she would “still be able to work on all of my projects from here in Nashville.” A couple days later, news broke that Parton would not attend this year’s Governors Awards in November, where she was set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Parton originally planned to attend the event virtually from Nashville, but now her appearance will not happen for reasons her team have not disclosed.
In her statement announcing her Las Vegas postponement, Parton stressed to her fans that she had no plans of retiring soon by writing: “Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.”
