Dolly Parton Reflects on Life After Husband’s Passing
Country music icon Dolly Parton recently revealed that she’s been focusing on her late husband, Carl Dean’s, death, which occurred in March. She shared that while she had plans to begin some new projects, she’s now holding off.
“My husband passed away three months ago…There were a few things I wanted to start, but I can’t do that right now. I’ll tackle it later, I think. I have some amazing ideas, but I don’t know if I’ll actually finish those,” she mentioned during a podcast episode with Khloe Kardashian.
“At this moment, I can’t let myself feel that way, so it’s just on hold for now,” she added.
Dean passed on March 3rd in Nashville, Tennessee. He and Parton were married for nearly 60 years, and he has been a significant source of inspiration in her music, evident in songs like “Jolene.” The couple first met at a laundromat when Parton was just 18 and Dean was 21, and they were wed in 1966 at a church in Ringgold, Georgia.
Earlier this year, Parton honored that same church to mark what would have been their 59th wedding anniversary.
Though she’s stepping back from music for now, Parton expressed that her love for songwriting remains intact.
“It all starts with a story and a song, and that’s one reason I enjoy writing,” she said.
Parton intends to pay tribute to her husband through her future musical endeavors.
“I have to do it,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “Figuring out how to get through this is challenging. It’s hard to lose someone you’ve been with for 60 years. It’s an adjustment, but there’s a feeling of peace knowing he’s at rest.”
“There’s a part of me that’s happy he’s at peace, but I will miss him every day. That feeling is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” she added.
In a recent conversation with Fox News, Parton mentioned her belief that she will reunite with her husband in the afterlife.
“Even though he’s gone from this world, I learn to cope daily. But I know I’ll see him again. He’s in God’s arms now,” she said.
