On Jan. 19, the queen of country music celebrates her 80th birthday. But Dolly Parton “ain’t got time to get old.”
Parton was born Jan. 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin in Sevierville, Tennessee, as the fourth of 12 children.
She began her music career in Knoxville at age 10, and throughout her nearly seven-decade career, she has become one of the most legendary musical artists of all time.
More: Tennessee declares Jan. 19 Dolly Parton Day for icon’s 80th birthday
After recent health challenges, fans worried Parton might be slowing down or retiring in the not-so-distant future.
But in a November interview with People, she assured the world that she isn’t going anywhere just yet.
Here’s what to know.
‘I feel like I’m just getting started’
Parton has a long list of accomplishments, accolades and dreams come true.
She’s a longtime Grand Ole Opry member with more than 950 recorded tracks and nearly 3,000 composed songs. Her classics “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” are considered cornerstones of the country music canon.
She starred in films “Steel Magnolias” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”
She has 25 No. 1 country hits, Grammys, ACM and CMA Awards, membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a Dollywood empire and has gifted millions of books worldwide to families in need through her nonprofit, Imagination Library.
“You know, I have just been going so fast my whole life,” Parton said while discussing the release of her new book “Star of the Show: My Life on Stage.”
“And I just start thinking, ‘How in the world did I even have a life? How did I even get it done?’” she said.
“I really realized when I was putting this book together just how much I had sacrificed in my life. I never had children, so at least I didn’t have a guilty feeling. I’m thankful that I got to see my dreams come true.”
And though Parton has been in the entertainment and philanthropy businesses for decades, she says she still has more to do.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years,” Parton told People.
“I feel like I’m just getting started. I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine … I think there’s a lot to be said about age.
“If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about.”
How is Dolly Parton’s health?
In fall 2025, Parton postponed a handful of concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada due to health challenges following a kidney stone-related infection.
When Parton’s sister, Freida Parton, asked people to pray for her sister, fans spiraled into panic over Parton’s health.
Days later on Oct. 8, Parton addressed her fans in a social media video. “I ain’t dead yet!” she said.
Parton explained that the treatments she needed were minimal.
“Lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick?” Parton said. “I wanted you to know that I’m not dying.”
What’s next for Dolly Parton?
On Jan. 16, Parton released her new rendition of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” featuring Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah, Miley Cyrus and Reba McEntire.
The proceeds from the song benefit pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
More: New Dolly Parton release coming with Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus and more
On Jan. 17, the Grand Ole Opry gathered to celebrate Parton’s 80th birthday with a night of tribute performances from Lainey Wilson, Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent and others.
On the Opry’s social media, Parton told fans she would not be able to attend, but wished them all “the best night ever.”
“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,” Parton said. “I wish I could be there in person, but I’ll be sending you all my love for sure.”
And in 2026, Parton’s got a packed schedule.
She is opening the SongTeller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville in June 2026. In early summer, Parton will also open Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
Parton’s multimedia concert experience, “Threads: My Songs in Symphony,” will tour the U.S. through August 2026.
The “Hello, I’m Dolly Musical,” a new bio-musical telling the story of Parton’s life, will open on Broadway this year.
Parton wrote the music and co-wrote the book for the musical, which had a limited run in Nashville throughout 2025.
Dolly Parton arrives with director Bartlett Sher for Dolly: A True Original Musical at Belmont University’s The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
Parton is also expected to return to the stage in September 2026 to make up her postponed Las Vegas performances.
Parton knows her lifestyle is packed and ambitious. “I’m not trying to outdo anybody except me,” she told People.
“I just want to be my best self at all times and try to improve every day. It wasn’t about just being rich; it was about being successful at what I love to do.
“Dreams nor wishes come true without a lot of hard work.”
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dolly Parton celebrates 80th birthday. Will she ever retire?