Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop following her recent health struggles.
“I wanted to welcome everyone. I’m so excited about the truck stop,” the 80-year-old country singer said Wednesday while standing outside a store in Cornersville, Tennessee, according to NewsChannel5.
“I’ve been traveling all my life, and I just wanted to welcome you and say thank you.”
“I think some of you might want to know why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton joked, referring to the Buc-ee’s stop for Bieber’s travel companion mascot.
“Well, I couldn’t leave it to Bieber. I had to throw in the spurs myself,” she joked, adding that she wasn’t trying to “try to compete” with other businesses.
“I don’t think you have to. We’re going to get you everything you want and need,” she said. “Well then, thank you very much for coming.”
According to Rolling Stone, Ms. Parton gave a glowing speech about her new venture, telling the audience that she “couldn’t be more proud,” and building a travel stop for “people carrying luggage, picking up families, or just passing through.”
The “Jolene” star’s latest appearance comes after she has been dealing with a series of health issues since last year.
In September, she canceled her appearance on Dollywood after suffering from kidney stones.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she said as her doctor told her to rest. “That’s all I can do today.”
In a recorded video message to fans, she said she was following doctors’ advice to rest.
That same month, Parton announced she was postponing her Las Vegas residency, Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, citing “health issues” and “certain procedures.”
Additionally, the “9 to 5” singer did not attend his 80th birthday celebration in January.
Most recently, Parton finally canceled her Las Vegas residency, saying in a pre-recorded video in May that it would take time for her to “reach the level of stage performance.”
“The good news is that I am responding very well to medication and treatment and am getting better every day,” she said. “I’m doing great. They’ve assured me that everything I have is treatable, so I’m going to follow through with that. And I just want you to know that I appreciate you supporting me and that I will always love you.”
