Dolly Parton Makes First Public Appearance Since Canceling Las Vegas Shows

Dolly Parton is still working her 9 to 5.

One month after canceling her Las Vegas residency to focus on her health, the country music legend attended the opening Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, a rest area off the I-65 highway in Cornersville, Tenn., on June 24.

“I’m sure some of you wondered why I wanted a truck stop—well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers,” Parton quipped in a playful a nod to gas station chain Buc-ee’s, per Rolling Stone. “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,” added the 80-year-old, who wore a blue-and-pink fringed dressed for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Good food, real rest, a little music, and people who are genuinely glad you stopped in. That’s what the road has always deserved, and that is what you will find here. Welcome home.”

And her appearance was a surprise to many fans. After all, Parton had stepped back from the spotlight in recent months to deal with health challenges, including missing her birthday concert at the Grand Ole Opry in January.