Dolly Parton is sharing how moved she was by a tribute to her late husband Carl Dean as she continues to grieve his death.
Posting to her Instagram Story on Friday, March 21, the “Jolene” singer revealed how emotional she felt when Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Lady A and the Opry’s choir performed her hit “I Will Always Love You” at the Opry 100 Special earlier this week. The stirring rendition was in honor of Parton as well as Dean. (Dean, who Parton was married to for nearly 60 years, died in Nashville on March 3. He was 82.)
“I have not stopped crying over the beautiful tribute of ‘I Will Always Love You’ on the 100th Anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry show,” Parton, 79, wrote via Instagram. “All those beautiful people with all their beautiful voices singing my song as a tribute to my husband Carl… the emotion was beyond words. I have cried enough to wash a great deal of the pain away so thanks to all of you beautiful people that helped make that possible.”
Parton concluded: “I also will always love you.”
The country star announced the news of her husband’s death via an Instagram statement on March 3.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” Parton wrote. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
As she continues to mourn his death, Parton gave an update about how she’s feeling to Knox News in an interview published on March 17.
“I’m doing better than I thought I would. I’ve been with him 60 years. So I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close,” she told the outlet.
“I’m at peace that he’s at peace, but that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him,” Parton added.
While Dean shied away from the spotlight during their time together, Parton gushed about her husband in interviews and previously shared details about their relationship.
“We’re the perfect partners,” Parton exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2022. “We both have a great sense of humor. … We’re able to solve any problem and any situation, making a joke about it and not letting it get too heavy, but we respect each other and we like each other. We lucked up, let’s put it that way.”
She continued: “You know, most people can keep a marriage [going strong] if you make a little effort. Some people just get slouching and lazy and about stuff that ain’t important, like leaving the toilet seat up. And if that’s the worst thing you’ve to worry about, you’re already in trouble.”
