Dolly Parton will always love Carl Dean, but she’s “at peace” with his death.
The country star, 79, addressed her husband’s recent passing and gave her fans an update on how she’s coping after losing him.
Parton, who was with Dean for nearly 60 years, sat down with Knox News for an interview after she surprised fans at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on March 14 to celebrate the resort’s 40th operating season. The event marked her first appearance since his death.
“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Parton shared about life after Dean.
“I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close,” she added.
While the “9 to 5” singer said she’s “at peace that he’s at peace,” Parton explained she’s still “missing” and “loving him.”
“[Dean] suffered a great deal,” she acknowledged, adding that it’s “a hole in my heart, you know, but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the country music icon revealed that her late husband would visit Dollywood often – despite his desire to keep a low profile.
“He used to come to the park; he bought his own ticket – stood in line and got his ticket,” Parton recalled. “He didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ‘cause he was Dolly’s husband. Everybody thinks that’s the funniest thing.”
She shared that Dean would also return home from his Dollywood visits and offer his famous wife some constructive feedback.
“He would say, ‘You need more bathrooms,’” Parton laughed while imitating Dean’s voice. “Or he would say, ‘You need to tell them this or that. It’s crowded over in that area. You might want to tell them they ought to do this or that.’”
“He wasn’t coming to criticize,” she added, “but he would notice things and he would say, you might want to bring this to their attention.”
She concluded the interview by saying that in the wake of her beloved husband’s death, she now plans to “do like Carl” and “just walk around” and “look at everything.”
Parton announced Dean’s passing on Instagram earlier this month. He was 82.
“Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82,” her statement read. “He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He is survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie.”
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” the post continued. “Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
“The family asks for privacy during this difficult time,” she concluded.
Parton took to Instagram again a few days later to share another touching message following Dean’s death.
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans,” she wrote. “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.”
“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,” the country songstress added. “I will always love you.”
Parton also released a new song about Dean – titled “If You Hadn’t Been There” – following his passing.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
