Dolly Parton is still adjusting to life without Carl Dean. The couple would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary last month, if Dean had not passed away on March 3, 2025.
For Parton, who met Dean when she was just 18 years old, she is moving on, with Dean always close by.
“I really feel his presence,” the 79-year-old tells The Independent. “I just try to go on, because I know I have to. And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn’t make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.”
Parton has certainly had enough success for her to stop working, or at least take a well-deserved break. Instead, Parton says it’s her grief that compels her to work harder than ever, especially in his absence.
“When I did lose him, I just thought, ‘Well, I’m going to take all of that energy, and I’m just going to put that back into other things, and I’ll keep him ever-present in everything that I do,'” she says, adding that he was always proud of his superstar wife.
“My husband always said, ‘If anybody was ever born to be a star, it’s you,'” the Country Music Hall of Fame member reveals. “Because he sees me loving to do all the things and playing and stuff – it’s play time for me. But I take it very seriously.”
Parton has already accomplished so much more than almost any artist, in any genre. For Parton, her motivation and determination is born from her former achievements.
“I just think that if you’re successful, if you are lucky enough to see your dreams come true, you need to make new dreams out of your other dreams,” Parton says.
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Parton acknowledges that Dean’s last few years were a challenge, which is why she finds some solace in his passing.
“He did suffer a lot for the last few years,” Parton tells Entertainment Tonight. “And there’s a part of me that’s happy he’s at peace and at rest. But then of course, there’s that part of me that will miss him forever and long for him every day. For the rest of my life, I’m sure.”
The East Tennessee native is readying the release of her Dolly: An Original Musical, premiering in Nashville next month. She is also building her Songteller Hotel, along with numerous other business ventures. But always, Dean is close by.
“I see him every day in my memories and in my heart,” Parton says, “and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we’ve built together. You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans – but that’s the hardest part.”
Parton released “If You Hadn’t Been There” shortly after Dean passed away. Keep track of all of Parton’s updates at DollyParton.com.