Dolly Parton, 80, is considering 'Avatar performances' amid health issues following the 2025 death of her husband. She has cancelled events, including a Las Vegas residency, and made several virtual appearances throughout 2026.
Dolly Parton is exploring the possibility of "Avatar performances" as she deals with some health issues that have led her to miss or make virtual appearances at several events in 2026. As per Billboard, the 80-year-old singer and her team are in early discussions with companies involved in Avatar performances, Parton told People magazine. She said the concept is still in the "early stages of development" and did not provide further details.
Parton on Health, Grief, and Scrutiny
"I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn't pay attention to when I was watching over Carl," Parton said, referring to her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82 after nearly 60 years of marriage. Parton described her current health difficulties as challenging but said she has experienced serious health setbacks before.
"It's not like I haven't been through hard times with my health," she said, recalling being "down for several months with female issues" in the early 1980s. She also addressed the heightened public attention surrounding her health in the era of social media. "I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn't years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I'm the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I'm still healin', I'm still workin'," she said, as quoted by Billboard.
Schedule Changes and Virtual Appearances
Parton's comments come after a series of changes to her public schedule. She postponed her planned Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, initially moving the December 2025 dates to September 2026 before cancelling the run entirely in May. She has also appeared virtually at several 2026 engagements, including the Academy of Country Music's Poet's Award at the ACM Honours and the August 14 dedication of Dollywood's new NightFlight Expedition ride.
Parton has not undertaken a traditional tour since 2016. At her first in-person public appearance of 2026 in March, she told a Dollywood crowd that she had been "worn down and worn out" by grief and needed to rebuild herself "spiritually, emotionally and physically."
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