Dolly Parton opened up about working through her grief following the death of her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, in March.
The iconic performer revealed that his passing has profoundly affected her songwriting ability, and brings up too many raw emotions.
Living with loss
Speaking on the Khloé in Wonder Land podcast, Dolly shared that she had put her recording career “on hold” as it made her too emotional to write about her late husband.
“I can’t do it right now ’cause I got so many other things that I can’t afford the luxury of, you know, of getting emotional right now,” she said on the podcast.
After revealing that her songwriting had “stalled”, she added: “I’ll write something else, though, if it comes. I’m just putting that all on hold.”
© Getty ImagesCarl passed away in March aged 82, prompting an outpouring of love for the country star.
“Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He is survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie,” she shared in a social media 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. The family asks for privacy during this difficult time.”
Just days later, Dolly released a song dedicated to her fiercely private husband, titled “If You Hadn’t Been There“.
“I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old,” she told her fans. “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 added.
Moving on
© Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesDespite putting her songwriting career on hold, Dolly is preparing to return to Las Vegas for a limited run of shows at Caesar’s Palace in December, 32 years after her last Vegas residency. Dolly: Live in Las Vegas will feature six performances running from December 4-13.
“To say I’m excited would be an understatement,” the “Jolene” singer said in a statement. “I haven’t worked [in] Vegas in years and I’ve always loved singing there. I’m looking so forward to the shows in The Colosseum at Caesar’s and I hope you are as well. See you there!”
In the wake of her announcement, Dolly shared that she still holds Carl close to her heart and is determined to keep their traditions alive. “We got married down in Ringgold, Georgia,” she told Fox News. “And we would always go down to Ringgold in and around our anniversary every year since we were married.”
© Dolly PartonShe continued: “And so I went down there the other day on our anniversary. And they put a big plaque up in the yard of that church where we got married. It talks about us getting married there.“
“So anyway, that’s where I spent my anniversary, our first – my first – our anniversary without him, the first one. So I thought, well, I have to go back and just take a picture on the same steps at that same church,” she added.
Dolly brought their wedding rings along for the emotional moment, sharing that it was “just so sweet” and made her feel that Carl “was there with me”.
To learn more about Dolly and Carl’s sweet love story, watch below…
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