Country music legend, Dolly Parton, has spoken for the first time since the death of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
In a post on Thursday, March 6, she thanked friends and family for sympathizing with her in a difficult moment.
READ ALSO: Carl Dean: Dolly Parton’s Husband Dies at 82
“Thank you all for the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl. I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me,” she wrote.
Reflecting on the loss of her partner, she added: “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”
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According to records, Parton and Dean began dating in 1964, tying the knot two years later. The couple had celebrated over 60 years together, 59 of which was in marriage.
Dean died on Monday, March 3, in Nashville at the age of 82. It was reported at the time that Dean would be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family.
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The singer announced the passing of her husband in a statement posted on social media on Monday, March 3, 2025. The statement did not reveal the cause of death. Ms. Parton and her husband, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016.
Despite inspiring songs like Jolene and From Here to the Moon and Back, Mr. Dean had been described as “a deeply private man” who avoided the public eye as his wife’s career flourished.
READ ALSO: Dolly Parton Traces Ancestry To Wales, Plans To Visit Country Soon
In an interview last year, Dolly Parton named three of her favourite songs, including Coat of Many Colours, Jolene, and I Will Always Love You
“Well, I’m proud of all of them…I think the one that’s most personal to me is ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ because it talks about my mom, and my parents and kind of gives you an insight. It also covers bullying, acceptance and all that.
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“…Of course, the one that’s most recorded is ‘Jolene.’ That seems to be the favourite—do you know that song has been recorded, somebody told me, 450 times in the last 52 years?
“I’m so proud of it. And ‘I Will Always Love You’ is one is the great love songs, so I’m very proud of that too,” the award-winning artiste told The Guardian
