Dolly Parton has made her first public appearance since the death of her husband Carl Thomas Dean – see what went down below.
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Earlier this month (March 4), Parton shared the unfortunate news that her husband Carl Dean had died at the age of 82. They had been married for nearly 60 years. A cause of death was not shared.
This past Friday (March 14), Parton made her first appearance since Dean’s death to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her Dollywood theme park at Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.
Parton took to the stage to speak about Dollywood’s past and future, and took a moment to remember her late husband. In a quick message to her friends and fans, she thanked everyone “for all the flowers and cards, and the well-wishes”.
Remembering Carl Dean, she referenced her hit song ‘I Will Always Love You’: “You know I loved him. Of course, I’m going to always love him… and I will always love you.” She also noted that Dean’s death will likely not affect her productivity: “He would want me to be working today. I expect to be working.”
Later on, she performed an acoustic rendition of ‘Celebrate The Dreamer In You’, which you can watch below.
A full video of Parton’s appearance was captured and shared via WVLT – check it out here.
Announcing Dean’s death earlier this month, Parton wrote in a brief statement: “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.”
Soon after, she released the poignant new single ‘If You Hadn’t Been There’ in honour of her late husband and described the significance he had in her life and his role in helping her become the person she is today.
Parton shared the single’s artwork on her Instagram account. It sees a photo of Dolly hugging her husband when they were younger. The caption of the post read: “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.”
Parton and Dean began dating in 1964, tying the knot two years later. The couple have celebrated over 60 years together, 59 of which have been spent married. Despite the lengthy relationship, Dean was an elusive figure for the most part as he was rarely seen out in public or in photographs with his wife.
