Dolly Parton Tears Up About "Big Adjustment" Following the Death of Husband Carl Dean
The country icon opened up about her grief in an interview with TODAY.
Dolly Parton and her late husband Carl Dean were a famously private couple, with few details about or pictures of Dean ever being released to the public. After his death in March 2025, however, Parton is willing to share which experiences make her the most emotional, opening up about his passing on TODAY.
"I get very emotional when people bring it up," the Country legend said during the May 2 broadcast, speaking to Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin remotely. "We were together 60 years. I've loved him since I was 18 years old, and it's a big adjustment just trying to change patterns and habits. I'll do fine. I'm very involved in my work and that's been the best thing that could happen to me. But I'll always miss him, of course, and I'll always love him."
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Melvin brought up a recent viral clip of a child at Dollywood being delighted to see Parton herself riding in a parade, but Parton revealed that behind her smile, she was deeply grieving that day. "I got very emotional that day after the parade because there was just so much love like that," she said, still able to smile at the child's joy. “And it was right after I had lost Carl, and I was just so bottled up with emotion, and I just got in the van and just boo hoo’d for the longest time, just feeling all that love and emotion,” she said.
Dolly Parton paid tribute to her husband in song
Just a few days after announcing her husband's death, Parton took to Instagram to announce the release of "If You Hadn't Been There," accompanied by a throwback photo of the couple looking so in love. "I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old," Parton wrote in the caption. "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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Read a sample of the lyrics:
- “If you hadn’t been there where would I be?/ Without your trust love and belief/ The ups and downs we’ve always shared/ And I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been there."
- “I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been there/ Holding my hand/ Showing you care/ You made me dream more than I dared/ And I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been there."
