JAKARTA - The world's country music legend, Dolly Parton, finally greeted fans in her first public appearance this year.
The presence of the 80-year-old singer also broke the wild speculation about his health condition which had triggered public concern in recent months.
Appearing at Dollywood, Tennessee, on Friday, March 13, Parton was there to celebrate the opening day and the 41st birthday of her amusement park.
The singer of "Jolene" also gave direct certainty about his physical and mental condition after having withdrawn from the public eye.
"I'm not really touring, as you know. I've had some minor health issues, and we're handling them very well," Parton said in her speech, quoted by Billboard, Sunday, March 15.
The statement was Parton's first response after she was forced to postpone her Las Vegas residency, which was due to start last December.
The delay comes following a series of medical procedures that have not been detailed publicly, which have now been rescheduled to begin in mid-September.
In addition to the factor of physical fatigue, Parton openly admitted that her recovery process was closely related to the mourning period after the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.
Losing the partner who had been with him for almost 60 years had a profound emotional impact on him.
"I felt really tired and tired because I was grieving for Carl, and a lot of other little things were happening," Parton said.
"I feel the need to rebuild myself spiritually, emotionally, and physically. However, everything is fine now. It doesn't make me slow," he added.
With a hint of humor, Parton also emphasized that she was not in a romantic relationship with anyone out of respect for her late husband. He joked that Carl would protest loudly if he came to the "gates of heaven" with another man.
Even though he had stepped aside, Parton's productivity did not go out. He admitted that he was busy rewriting songs for his ambitious project, "Dolly: An Original Musical", which is scheduled to be released on Broadway this year.
At the end of his speech, Parton also gave a touching message about the principles of life that he has held firmly to this day.
"Never forget who you are, never forget where you came from, and always find a way to come home. You can always come back home in your heart and mind," he concluded.
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