On March 3, 2025, Dolly Parton announced that Carl Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years, had died at the age of 82. At the time, she shared a simple statement with her fans. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she said. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”
A few days later, on March 6, the 79-year-old country star took to Instagram to share a “love note” with her fans. In it, she wrote that although she “can’t reach out personally” to everyone who has expressed support as she grieves, everyone’s kindness has “meant the world” to her.
“Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” Dolly wrote. At the end of her “love note,” she added, “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”
The following day, on March 7, Dolly dedicated a song titled “If You Hadn’t Been There” to her late husband. In a heartfelt message, Dolly wrote, “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.”
On multiple occasions, Dolly has explained that her husband preferred to stay out of the spotlight in spite of her stardom, which she “always respected.” Previously, she told Entertainment Tonight that she and her husband Carl worked “so well together” even though they were “different people” in some ways.
“He said, ‘I didn’t choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together,'” she explained. In 2024, she told E! News that her husband always loved her for who she is. “To him, I’m his star,” she said.
Her recent Instagram post about her song for Carl makes it clear that that feeling is mutual. “He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him,” she wrote when introducing the song.
