Dolly Parton Says Avatar Performances Are in Development

Dolly Parton has revealed that she and her team have been collaborating with companies that create "avatar performances," though she stressed the concept remains an early-stage idea rather than a scheduled show.

Parton shared the news during an interview with People, in which she addressed both her future in live performance and a recent stretch of health struggles. Parton said the avatar concept is still in the "early stages of development," with no company, technology or timeline confirmed.

The disclosure comes as Parton has scaled back her live-performance plans this year, including the cancellation of a planned Las Vegas residency, following a period of exhaustion compounded by grief. Her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, died in March 2025.

"I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on," Parton said. "I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, all is good. It didn't slow me down."

Parton also pushed back on the idea that her health situation is more serious than she has described. "I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I'm working hard here," she said.

She has previously described needing time to return to full stage readiness, saying "it's gonna take me a little while before I'm up to stage-performance level, because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy headed." Parton has not named a specific diagnosis, and none is confirmed here.

The avatar concept is being explored as a possible way to keep her music and performance style accessible to audiences going forward, though she did not lay out a use case, venue or launch date. It is not an announced concert, tour or residency.

Parton has remained active behind the scenes even as she has pulled back from touring, addressing her Dollywood theme park's newest ride opening remotely this year after physicians advised against travel, and continuing other projects including her Life of Many Colors museum in Nashville and the SongTeller Hotel.

For now, Parton's comments confirm only that conversations with avatar-performance companies are underway. Any further specifics remain unconfirmed.