Dolly Parton celebrated her 80th birthday on 19 January after fans became concerned for her health following a string of show cancellations for ‘wellbeing’ reasons
Iconic country music star Dolly Parton worried fans as she cancelled a string of shows in the lead-up to her 80th birthday, after admitting health battles left her in a ‘dark time’. The 9 To 5 singer turned 80 on 19 January.
Fans became concerned for her health earlier this month when it was revealed that the singer would not attend a concert put on for her birthday. This came shortly after health issues forced Dolly to cancel a trip to Dollywood in September and the reported cancellation of a series of shows for “wellbeing reasons” after the death of her husband Carl Dean.
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Dolly has previously opened up about how she “fell apart” after being diagnosed with health issues. In her 2017 memoir, Dolly On Dolly: Interviews And Encounters With Dolly Parton, who was 35 when diagnosed with endometriosis, the singer said she was a “pile of personal and emotional problems”.
“I was working hard, and underneath I was a pile of personal and emotional problems. All at once, I fell apart,” she said. “It was stomach problems and female problems-all over health problems actually.”
In 1984, Dolly collapsed during a concert after ignoring doctor’s advice not to perform. She was then diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where cells similar to those in the womb’s lining develops elsewhere in the body. As a result of the diagnosis, Dolly had a partial hysterectomy.
In her memoir, Dolly spoke about how difficult this period was for her. “Suddenly I was a middle-aged woman. I went through a dark time, until I made myself snap out of it.”
She added that during this time, she developed an eating disorder where she would “binge” and diet in cycles, pushing her body to extremes that meant her “system wouldn’t work anymore”.
“On top of being medicated, Dietin’ Dolly would go on liquid protein, Scarsdale, Atkins, the water diet, then I’d binge, diet, gain, start all over again. Eventually my system wouldn’t work anymore. My body couldn’t hold up under that strain. Overeating is as much a sickness as drugs or alcohol.”
Dolly’s 80th birthday was celebrated by the iconic venue the Grand Ole Oprey with a special concert. In a video posted to the Nashville venue’s social media, Dolly told fans that she wished she could be at the event but would not attend.
Well, hey there Grand Ole Opry family,” she begins in the clip. “I just wanted to say how much it means to me that you’re all coming together again this year to celebrate my big ol’ birthday with some of my songs.
“Some of my favourite memories happened right here on stage at the Grand Ole Opry,” she adds. “And I wish I could be there in person, but I’ll be sending you all my love, for sure.” Whilst fans initially expressed worry about Dolly’s health, a spokesperson subsequently clarified that she had never intended to attend the celebration.
“She was never intending to be there and she was never promoted to be there, so she’s not pulling out of anything. She was never going,” the spokesperson said.
But some fans were still concerned, as this came after doctors told the singer to “take it easy”, leading to a cancellation of her trip to Dollywood, her amusement park in Tennessee.
“I sure wish I could be with you in person today,” she said in a video shared on Dollywood’s Instagram page. “But you probably heard that I been dealing with a few health challenges this fall and my doctors told me to take it easy for just a little while.”
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