Dolly Parton's heartbreaking life after soulmate husband's death

She's one of the hardest working people in Hollywood, so when 9 to 5 singer Dolly Parton was forced to cancel upcoming gigs it was a clear sign that something was wrong.

Dolly recently told fans on social media that she was unable to rehearse and prepare for six Ceasars' Palace shows, which were due to take place from December 4 to December 13, because of medical procedures.

And last night, Dolly Parton's younger sister Freida alarmed fans when she said said she had been "up all night praying" for the singer as she faces ongoing health 'challenges'.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Freida rallied fans to pray for her older sibling and wrote: "Many of you know she hasn't been feeling her best lately."

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However, the country legend's production manager, Olly Rowland, has settled concerns over Dolly's illness.

He said: "It's just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”

As well as experiencing significant health challenges throughout her career, Dolly has been heartbroken since her beloved husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025.

Dolly admits she's been very emotional and has struggled to adapt to life without him after their 60 years together.

"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," she said on social media. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."

Dolly met Dean outside a laundromat on the first day she arrived in Nashville as an 18-year-old aspiring singer. Recalling their first meeting, she said: "I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about."

Two years later, on May 30, 1966, the couple exchanged vows at a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia. They were married for six decades but Carl kept himself out of the limelight, preferring to stay at home and live on their farm running his paving business.

He was dedicated to Dolly and once said he knew he was going to marry her the moment they met: "My first thought was I'm going to marry that girl," Carl once said. "My second was, 'Lord she's good lookin.' And that was the day my life began."

But despite her heartbreak since his passing, the legendary country singer later said in an interview with Knox News that she was "doing better than I thought I would."

"I've been with him 60 years," she told the publication. "So, I'm going to have to relearn some of the things that we've done. But I'll keep him always close."

"I'm at peace that he's at peace, but that don't keep me from missing him and loving him," Parton added, noting that Dean had "suffered a great deal. It's a hole in my heart, you know, but we'll fill that up with good stuff and he'll still always be with me."

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