Dolly Parton made a rare public appearance at the opening of Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop one month after canceling her Las Vegas residency due to her health.
Dolly Parton is still working her 9 to 5.
One month after canceling her Las Vegas residency to focus on her health, the country music legend attended the opening Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop, a rest area off the I-65 highway in Cornersville, Tenn., on June 24.
“I’m sure some of you wondered why I wanted a truck stop—well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers," Parton quipped in a playful a nod to gas station chain Buc-ee's, per Rolling Stone. “The doors are open and I could not be prouder."
"Whether you are hauling loads, hauling the family, or just passing through, we built this place for you,” added the 80-year-old, who wore a blue-and-pink fringed dressed for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Good food, real rest, a little music, and people who are genuinely glad you stopped in. That’s what the road has always deserved, and that is what you will find here. Welcome home.”
And her appearance was a surprise to many fans. After all, Parton had stepped back from the spotlight in recent months to deal with health challenges, including missing her birthday concert at the Grand Ole Opry in January.
"I've been not touring, as you know,” Parton said during a rare in-person appearance at her Dollywood theme park in March. “I've had a few little health issues, and we're taking good care of them."
The 9 to 5 star added that she needed some time to recover after getting "worn down and worn out grieving over" her late husband Carl Dean, who died at 82 in March 2025.
"I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally and physically," Parton continued. "All is good. It didn't slow me down."
In fact, the "Jolene" singer has no plans to retire.
“I’ve just been doing a lot of writing, a lot of thinking, a lot of praying and a lot of getting ready for a lot of new stuff coming up for the rest of this whole year,” she shared. “So, be ready for me. I ain’t done, I ain’t near done.”
For a closer look at Parton's storied career, read on.
