"Spent 60 precious years together" Dolly Parton dedicates new song to her late husband
A few days ago, Dolly Parton announced that her husband Carl Dean had died. The two were married for 58 years. Now the country singer is paying tribute to the love of her life with an emotional song.
09.03.2025, 15:45
09.03.2025, 16:26
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- Dolly Parton has released "If You Hadn't Been There", a moving ballad in honor of her late husband.
- The song describes how the country star would not be where she is today if it hadn't been for Carl Dean.
- In an emotional Instagram post, Parton paid tribute to their 60-year relationship and love.
- The singer thanked her family, friends and fans for their great sympathy.
Dolly Parton (79) has released a new ballad in honor of her recently deceased husband Carl Dean. The country star announced earlier this week that her husband had died on March 3 at the age of 82. The cause of death is not known, Dean will be buried in a private ceremony with his immediate family.
Parton has now published the song "If You Hadn't Been There" on Instagram, in which she pays musical tribute to her great love. Her voice sounds fragile at times: "I wouldn't be here/If you hadn't been there", Parton whispers at the end of the song. Meaning in German: "I wouldn't be here/If you hadn't been there".
The photo accompanying Parton's love song shows the couple at a young age. Underneath, the singer wrote the emotional words: "I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We spent 60 precious and meaningful years together."
Like all great love stories, this one will never end. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him," says Parton.
Great sympathy
Just before Parton released the song, she thanked everyone on Instagram for their sympathy: "This is a love letter to family, friends and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards and flowers you sent to pay your last respects at the loss of my beloved husband Carl."
She couldn't address everyone personally, but she wanted everyone to know that it meant a lot to her.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were married for almost 60 years
Parton and Dean were married for almost 60 years. The two reportedly met outside a laundromat the day the "Jolene" performer moved to Nashville when she was 18.
"I was surprised and delighted that he looked me in the face while he was talking to me (which was a rarity for me)," Parton had previously described the meeting. "He seemed genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about." Two years later, on May 30, 1966, the couple married.
At first, the two had kept their relationship a secret for decades. In 1984, Parton told the AP, "A lot of people say there is no Carl Dean, that he's just someone I made up to keep other people away from me."
She joked that she would love to pose with him on the cover of a magazine "so at least people know I'm not married to a wart or something."
"What a beautiful love story"
But Dean stayed out of the public eye while Parton became a world-famous singer. Her husband was a businessman and owned an asphalt company in Nashville. "He's rather shy and quiet," said Parton in a People interview in 1977.
In 2019, the singer also told People that he always supported her and had always been her biggest fan behind the scenes. Dean also inspired the hit "Jolene".
As Parton sings in her own words, she wouldn't be where she is today if it hadn't been for Carl Dean. Fans summed it up in the comments under the song: "What a beautiful love story."
