Dolly Parton speaks onstage at the 53rd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala.Getty Images
Dolly Parton visited her very own Tennessee mountain home on Friday.
Following the death of her husband Carl Dean on March 3, the country icon made her first public appearance at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Parton, 79, arrived at the theme park to help kick off the resort’s 40th operating season.
During her appearance, the singer addressed the death of Dean. “Of course I will always love him, and I’ll miss him, but I wanted you to know that I will always love you,” she said, per local news.
Parton and Dean were married for 59 years before he passed away at the age of 82 in Nashville.
Dolly Parton performs during “Dolly: An Original Musical” in Nashville on Jan. 28, 2025.Getty Images
Dolly Parton speaks onstage during Kicking Off CMA Fest in Nashville on June 6, 2024.Getty Images
The “I Will Always Love You” artist confirmed her partner’s death on Instagram.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” her message read.
In a separate post, Parton thanked fans via Instagram for their support.
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” she wrote. “I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”
The entrance to Dollywood.Getty Images
Dollywood sign.Redferns
Parton also paid tribute to Dean by releasing an emotional song titled “If You Hadn’t Been There.”
The “Steel Magnolias” actress used a throwback photo of herself and Dean as the album cover art, which she shared via Instagram last week.
In the photo, a young Parton wraps her arms around her husband’s neck as she stands behind him.
“Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end,” she captioned the post. “They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him.”
Dolly Parton poses for a portrait with her guitar at Dollywood circa 1993.Getty Images
“If you hadn’t been there/ Where would I be?/ Without your trust, love and belief,” Parton belts out on the track. “The ups and downs/ We’ve always shared/ And I wouldn’t be here, if you hadn’t been there.”
The couple met at a Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville when Parton was just 18. They tied the knot on May 30, 1966.
Dolly Parton attends opening weekend of Dollywood on April 24, 1993.Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Dolly Parton announced her husband’s death.dollyparton/Instagram
“My first thought was ‘I’m gonna marry that girl.’ My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good looking.’ And that was the day my life began,” Dean told Entertainment Tonight in 2016. “I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this Earth.”
The pair never had any children.
“He likes his freedom. If I call him, that’s fine, he ain’t expectin’ it. He doesn’t like me home for long because it interferes with his tradin’. So we never really have any hold on each other. And yet we have the ultimate hold,” Parton said about their marriage in 1982.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean.dollyparton/Instagram
Over the years, Parton was vocal about the secret to their successful and long lasting union.
In 1982, she told People, “Carl is the one man in my life. I would love to grow old with him. If he should die first, I may never marry again. My love is that deep.”
Parton also dished on keeping their romance private, telling the outlet in 2019, “He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it. He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home.”
Dolly Parton performs at halftime during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders.Getty Images
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean.dollyparton/Instagram
In May, Parton explained to E! News that it was “important to have someone there in your corner.”
“And you know they’ll love you for just who you are,” gushed the songstress. “There’s a great comfort in knowing that someone loves you exactly for who you are — because he fell in love with me before I became a star.”
News
Young Thug Finally Settles Long-Running Beef With Lil Wayne — Hints at Secret Collab Album That Could Shake the Hip-Hop World
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 13: Rapper Young Thug speaks onstage at the 2021 REVOLT Summit at 787 Windsor on November 13, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) Young Thug’s comments on Lil Wayne come after dropping his…
Rihanna Confronts Rising Star Tyla Over Flirty Messages With A$AP Rocky: A Tense Showdown That Shook the Music World
In the high-stakes universe of celebrity, where every glance, every smile, and every text is dissected by millions, a recent industry event in Los Angeles became the stage for a confrontation that has sent shockwaves across the music world. Rihanna,…
Diddy’s Former Bodyguard Big Homie CC Escapes U.S. Amid Mysterious Cyanide Poisonings and Car Crashes: “If He Walks Free, I’m Target Number One”
Big Homie CC, once the shadow and right-hand man of hip-hop mogul Diddy, has reportedly fled the United States, leaving behind a life of fame, luxury, and peril. The reason? A terrifying series of cyanide poisonings, all cleverly disguised…
Whispers of the Panther: Tupac’s Cousin Finally Speaks on Secrets, Betrayal, and the Vegas Conspiracy Sept. 15, 1996 Remembered: Tupac Shakur’s Shadowed Legacy
In the long shadow of a revolutionary bloodline, where the fire of the Black Panther Party still simmers, a voice once silenced has returned. William Lesane, Tupac Shakur’s first cousin and a quiet keeper of the family’s secrets, broke thirty…
“HE KNEW ABOUT THIS” — Evidence Suggests D4vd Was Informed That Celeste Rivas Had Been Placed in His Tesla
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 27: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) D4vd attends the Juun.J Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 27, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo…
D4VD Case Sh0cker: Newly Released Official Report Finally Reveals the True Cause Behind Celeste Rivas’ Tragic Case— Confirms the Teen Was NOT Pregnant, Ending Days of Speculation
The mystery surrounding the death of Celeste Rivas deepened this week after her official death certificate revealed that the cause of death is still being deferred, pending toxicology results and further investigation. According to documents obtained by TMZ, the 15-year-old’s body was discovered…
End of content
No more pages to load