Dolly Parton Remembers Husband Carl Dean In First Public Appearance Since His Death
Just days after her husband Carl Dean died, Dolly Parton made a public appearance to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of her Dollywood theme park.
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of 58 years, passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025. Dolly shared the news on social media, saying, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”
Dolly followed the statement with news that she was releasing a new single in Carl’s honor. The song, titled “If You Hadn’t Been There,” was written to be included in the upcoming musical about Dolly’s life. It is a tribute to everyone who has been a part of her career and her success.
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“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,” she wrote.
On Friday, March 14, Dolly made her first public appearance since Carl’s death.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of her Dollywood theme park, Dolly made a surprise appearance in front of a crowd of season pass holders. In a press release shared ahead of the event, it was unclear if Dolly would be in attendance as she has been in years past.
When she was announced and made her way on stage, the audience was clearly surprised that she was there. When she took the stage, she briefly addressed Carl’s passing.
“I just want to take a minute to thank all of you for all of the flowers and cards and the well wishes for the loss of Carl. You know how I loved him. He would want me to be working today,” Dolly said. “I just wanted you to know, of course, that I will always love him. And I will always miss him.”
She referenced the loss of her husband later in the presentation when she and her co-host, Eugene Naughton, engaged in silly banter that him laughing. Naughton told the crowd, “She said she was in a mood today…”
Dolly replied, “I said I need to laugh. I need some fun so I’m probably gonna be stupid. I’ve been crying enough the last week or two….”
