Dolly Parton is in negotiations to let an avatar perform concerts on her behalf, the 80-year-old singer told People magazine, as she canceled six scheduled shows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Parton, who has sold more than 100 million albums, said she had taken care of everything except herself regarding her health. She missed the Aug. 14 opening of Dollywood's NightFlight Expedition ride on medical advice.
Her team is working with avatar-performance companies to develop new ways of delivering her music. Parton also announced the upcoming Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville, billed as the world's largest exhibition about her life, housed in a former downtown office building.
Additional ventures include a dog treat line with Purina and Cup of Ambition Coffee with Community Coffee, available from September. The SongTeller Hotel, adjacent to the museum, is set to open the same month. Parton's husband, Carl Thomas Dean, died in March 2025 at age 82.