Dolly Parton/Instagram
Dolly Partonsays art is helping her mend her broken heart after she recentlylost her husband, Carl Dean.
The legendary country singer said goodbye to her longtime partner when he died March 3 in Nashville at the age of 82.
The famously private couple were married for 58 years and rarely stepped out together in public, but fans will get a glimpse into their decades-long romance in the upcoming stage showDolly: A True Original Musical. And for Parton, that particular aspect of the production has been crucial to her mourning process.
"I don't know that I've learned anything about myself from doing the musical, but I do think that it's just dug so deeply into me. It's really just been like a roller-coaster ride," Parton toldPEOPLEfor a new cover story while promoting her latest book,Star of the Show: My Life on Stage. "My husband Carl, I lost, and of course that's the hardest loss that anyone could ever have, to lose the person they love the most. The fact that I've portrayed him so beautifully in the show, and seeing him every night like that when I watch the show, it's healing in its way."
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Parton's show enjoyed a brief run in Nashville this past summer and is now being workshopped before itsexpected Broadway opening in 2026. The stage production traces the story of her career, from her humble beginnings to her massive success in Hollywood and country music. Included in the tale is her relationship with Dean, whom she wed before her star rose.
"It's almost like he's never gone," Parton said of Dean being immortalized in the show. "So now he'll always be here, not just for me, but in the minds of other people. And the same with my best friend Judy [Ogle] — how I've portrayed her and how people can see what our relationship is all through the years."
She continued, "When you've had a best friend for 70 years and a husband for 60, a very loyal and devoted person… Just seeing all those points in my life and how all that has affected me, it's been healing in a way. It's made me appreciate my life and made me appreciate all of the people more."
"Ours is like a great ole love story," she said of her marriage to Dean. "Most people don't stay that close that long."
Though Parton achieved international fame during their relationship, Dean stayed behind the scenes, a preference Parton was happy to honor. Referencing a moment fromDolly: A True Original Musical, she said, "It makes me happy in the show when he says, 'Hello, I'm Carl Dean,' and he gets an applause. You know, his whole thing was he was famous for not being famous. He was famous for nobody knowing him. But I think that he'd appreciate how I've presented our love."
"Like I said, that's a loss that nobody can ever know unless you experienced it yourself," she added. "I'm just happy that he can be here forever. And he will always be in my heart and in my memories."
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Parton met Dean in 1964, well before she became the megastar she is today. The singer has recounted the story more than once, recalling that they locked eyes in front of the Wishy Washy Laundromat on her very first day in Nashville, where she had moved to pursue a path in music. They married two years later, and the following year Parton joinedThe Porter Wagoner Show, which launched her career.
Though Dean kept himself out of the spotlight, Parton regularly referenced him and the songs he inspired, including her hit single "Jolene."
Following his death, Partonshared a heartfelt statementon social media, writing, "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."
She additionallyreleased a tribute song for Dean, titled "If You Hadn't Been There," on March 7. In a statement accompanying its release, she wrote, "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."
Watch Parton open up about her husband's death and her new musical in the interview above.
Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
