Dolly Parton, 80, cozies up to her sister, 66, in rare social media post after canceling her Las Vegas residency amid health woes

Dolly Parton made a rare social media appearance on Wednesday - nearly two months after she cancelled her Las Vegas residency amid her health struggles.

The country music icon, 80, took to Instagram to post a cheery photo of herself with her younger sister Rachel Parton George, 66.

Rocking her signature blonde hair and full glam makeup, Parton looked incredible in a red gingham blouse, white pants and sky-high heels.

The sisters posed with plates of barbecue ribs, corn on the cob and lime slices in their laps while seated in the backyard of a sprawling estate, which was decorated for the upcoming Fourth Of July holiday.

In the caption, Parton shared that her and Rachel pulled together some of their 'favorite recipes' to make the Fourth Of July 'a little extra special.'

The Jolene singer's recipes, including for her homemade sweet tea and barbecue ribs, come straight out of she and Rachel's 2024 cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food. 

Parton concluded her Instagram post by asking her 8.5 million followers which of the cookbook dishes they're planning on 'trying' this weekend.

Fans flocked to the comment section to compliment how 'beautiful' and 'good' Parton looked amid her health battle, which she revealed in May.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Parton for comment but has yet to hear back. 

The songstress was forced to cancel her planned Las Vegas residency in May after previously postponing it in September, citing undisclosed 'health challenges.'

In her recent health update, Parton admitted she's 'always had problems with my kidney stones' but for the past three years her immune and digestive systems 'got all out of whack' and need to be 'rebuilt and strengthened.'

She continued: 'The good news is I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day.

'Now, the bad news is, 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' as my grandma used to say. 

'And of course, I can't be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels. And you know that I'm going to be wearing them!'

Speaking during a rare in-person appearance at her Dollywood theme park in March, Parton addressed her recent time away from touring.

'I've been not touring, as you know,' Parton said. 'I've had a few little health issues, and we're taking good care of them.'

The 9 to 5 star also reflected on the personal toll of recent months, saying she had needed time to recover after becoming 'worn down and worn out grieving over' her late husband Carl Thomas Dean, who passed away aged 82 in 2025. 

The couple had been together for more than 50 years, having first met in the 1960s and married in 1966, remaining famously private about their relationship.

Parton has kept a relatively low profile this year, including missing her birthday concert at the Grand Ole Opry in January.

Parton also previously missed a Dollywood announcement due to kidney stone complications, later telling fans she had been advised not to travel after developing an infection.

She made her first public appearance since confirming her health struggles last month.

On June 24, Parton attended the opening of Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee. 

The star looked happy and healthy as she greeted fans in a glitzy fringed ensemble. 

She later took the stage to welcome guests and share the vision behind the new travel stop. 

'Well, the doors are open and I could not be prouder. Whether you are hauling loads, hauling the family, or just passing through, we built this place for you,' Parton said.

She also took a playful swipe at rival travel stop chain Buc-ee's.

'I'm sure some of you want to know why I wanted a truck stop. Well, I couldn't leave it to beavers,' Parton said.