Dolly Parton recently lost her husband, Carl Dean, after 60 years together. The gospel and country music star’s hits include “Golden Streets of Glory,” “How Great Thou Art,” and, recently, “There Was Jesus” (a duet with Zach Williams). Parton continues to hold tight to her lifelong faith in Jesus as she navigates life without Carl.
“I’m going to see him again someday,” said Parton.
‘I’m Going to See Him Again’—Dolly Parton Speaks of Late Husband, Carl Dean
In the three months since Carl Dean’s passing, Dolly Parton continues to rely on her faith. Carl had battled a long illness, and the couple tried to respect his quiet life, away from the press and limelight, and keep his diagnosis private.
RELATED: Dolly Parton Mourns the Loss of Carl Dean, Her Husband of Nearly 60 Years
“I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday. And I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we’ve built together,” Parton told the Associated Press. “You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans—but that’s the hardest part.”
After the two renewed their wedding vows to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Parton said in a press release, “If I had it to do all over, I’d do it all over again, and we did. I’m dragging him into the next 50 years with me whether he wants to or not!”
Parton wrote a song to honor Carl after he passed. She sang, “I wouldn’t be here, if you hadn’t been there. Holding my hand, showing you care, you made me dream, more than I dared.”
“I really feel his presence,” Parton told the Associated Press. “I just try to go on, because I know I have to. And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn’t make up for the loss and loneliness of it.”
Parton has publicly talked about her faith and how central it is to her everyday life and success. “My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible,” Parton said. “And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”
When Carl passed, Parton knew she had to keep going. “I’m going to take all of that energy, and I’m just going to put that back into other things, and I’ll keep him ever-present in everything that I do.”
Parton has been a successful singer and songwriter for decades. She didn’t stop there as she engaged in a number of business and philanthropic projects.
“I like the business end of things.” Parton continued, “I like seeing things happen, and I love making things happen. So, my mind just naturally works that way.”
Recognizing that not every family has the financial means to support the arts, Parton has been known to pay for band uniforms and subsidize art programs secretly.
“I am a workhorse that looks like a show horse. But I gotta keep it all up and I enjoy all of it,” Parton continued. “My husband always said, ‘If anybody was ever born to be a star, it’s you.’ Because he sees me loving to do all the things and playing and stuff—it’s play time for me. But I take it very serious.”
