Dolly Parton’s sister Freida Parton has asked fans to pray for the 79-year-old singer as she deals with ongoing health issues, amplifying concern that first surfaced when the country star postponed a six-night Las Vegas residency scheduled for December 2025. In a Facebook message posted on Tuesday, Freida wrote that she had been “up all night praying” for her older sister and appealed to “prayer warriors” around the world to join her, a call that quickly ricocheted across entertainment news outlets and fan groups. The appeal follows Parton’s 28 September statement that she would delay “Dolly: Live in Las Vegas” to September 2026 in order to undergo several medical procedures and recover sufficiently to stage the show she wants audiences to see. In that note, Parton stressed she is not retiring and framed the pause with characteristic humour, calling it a “100,000-mile check-up,” while adding in earnest that, for now, “God… is telling me to slow down.”
Freida Parton’s wording was direct and devotional. “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately,” she wrote, adding, “I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead [sic] to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.” She closed: “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!” The post offered no medical specifics, and neither did it cite new developments beyond the singer’s recent postponements; nonetheless, its tone was enough to spur fresh headlines about the icon’s condition.
Within hours, Freida moved to temper anxiety sparked by her initial message. In a follow-up post, she said she “didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious,” explaining that Dolly had been “a little under the weather” and that her original request solely reflected a sister’s belief in the value of collective prayer. The clarification aligned with Parton’s own assurances that the delayed concerts were a proactive decision to protect the quality of the show and her ability to perform at full strength rather than a sign of an acute emergency.
Parton first announced the Las Vegas change in a statement shared on social media, telling fans she wanted them to hear “directly from me” that she would be pushing back the dates while she dealt with “health challenges” that require “a few procedures.” She added that while the quip about a “100,000-mile check-up” was in good fun, the reality is that she would not be able to rehearse or deliver the performance she expects of herself in December. “You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you,” she wrote, before emphasising that this is a pause, not an ending: “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.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton)