Dolly Parton makes first public appearance since husband's death with acoustic performance
Dolly honoured Carl Dean as she made a public appearance to celebrate the 40th anniversary celebrations of Dollywood.
Dolly Parton has made her first public appearance following the tragic death of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
Parton confirmed the death of her husband at the age of 82 on 4th March, thanking fans for their well-wishes and sympathy with a simple statement.
The pair had been married for nearly 60 years, tying the knot in 1966. Dean famously kept himself away from the spotlight, and continued to work on his asphalt-laying business near their home in Nashville.
On 14th March, Parton took to the stage for a surprise appearance marking the 40th anniversary of Dollywood, her theme park in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.
During her appearance, Dolly honoured her late husband, thanking fans for "all the flowers and cards, and the well-wishes".
In one emotional moment, Dolly reflected on her hit song I Will Always Love You and said: "You know I loved him. Of course, I’m going to always love him… and I will always love you."
Despite the death of her husband, who she called her "rock", Dolly noted: "He would want me to be working today. I expect to be working."
She also shared jokes with Dollywood President Eugene Naughton, who had commented the site had "significant facelifts to some of the areas".
Dolly quickly shot back: "Well, I always say: if you see something sagging, dragging and bagging, you need to get it nipped, tucked or sucked!"
Parton later said of her loss to local paper Knox News: "I'll keep him always close. 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."
She added: "He suffered a great deal, so I'm at peace with him being at peace."
In honour of Carl, Parton has also released a new song, If You Hadn’t Been There. On the track, Parton shared on Instagram: "I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together.
"Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him.”
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
