Dolly Parton leans on her faith after losing husband of nearly 60 years
[May 29, 2025]
By GARY GERARD HAMILTON
NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton’s angelic voice floated throughout her
first gospel album in 1971 with songs like “I Believe,” “Lord Hold My
Hand” and the album’s title track, “Golden Streets of Glory.” The
entertainment icon says the same steadfast faith that inspired those
hymns have anchored her throughout her grief following the death her
husband, Carl Dean.
“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,” said Parton. “You just kind of have to learn to kind of
make new plans — but that’s the hardest part.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree reflected on her marriage of nearly
60 years while promoting her new single-serve Southern-inspired frozen
meals, following her popular Duncan Hines baking mixes via a
collaboration with US-based Conagra Brands. Dean, who avoided the
spotlight and inspired her timeless hit “Jolene,” as well as her 2023
“Rockstar” album, died in March at 82.
“I really feel his presence,” said the 10-time Grammy winner. “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 the
loneliness of it.”
The 79-year-old recording artist spoke with The Associated Press about
her perspective on life without her husband, her entrepreneurial spirit
and on why she’s never embraced the title “superstar.” The conversation
has been edited for brevity and clarity.
AP: It seems like the entire world was thinking of you following your
loss. Has your perspective changed of what you hope to accomplish after
losing your husband?
PARTON: No, I just think that I’ve always had dreams and I’m always
working. My husband understood that. Carl knew that better than anybody
and he was all about it. He was very proud of me. … So when I did lose
him, I just thought, well, 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.
AP: You have so many business ventures and philanthropic work. Where
did your entrepreneurial acumen begin?
PARTON: I just think that if you’re successful, if you are lucky enough
to see your dreams come true, you need to make new dreams out of your
other dreams. Because it’s like a tree with lots of limbs and leaves, so
every dream, you can kind of branch off — if you’ll pardon the
expression — and do other things. And I like the business end of things.
I like seeing things happen, and I love making things happen. So, my
mind just naturally works that way.
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Dolly Parton poses at the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Ceremony in
New York, on Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)
 AP: You have your popular Duncan
Hines cake mixes and now, your single-serve frozen meals. What other
projects are you working on?
PARTON: I have a new book coming out ... this one is called ‘Star of
the Show,’ which is actually a song I wrote years ago. But it’s
about my life on the road and my life on stage — all the behind the
scenes and all the people that I’ve met, and all of the things that
happen when you’re traveling like that as I have for all of these
years. So, that, and then I have my life story as a musical. It’s
called ‘Dolly: An Original Musical.’ And I’ve written a lot of
original songs for it. Of course, it’ll have the big hits that are
woven into the story. And it’s just about my life, from the time I
was little until up through now.
It’s going to be at the Fisher Center of Performing
Arts at Belmont University (in Nashville). Then, once that has its
run through the end of August, then we take it to New York to open
on Broadway next year.
AP: How are you celebrating the 40th anniversary of your
Dollywood theme park?
PARTON: One of the things they did for the 40th anniversary was put
a big sign up on the hill there above Dollywood that says
“Dollywood” like the Hollywood sign. … Years ago, when I thought,
‘Well, someday I’m going to have my own theme park and I’m gonna
change that H to a D and have Dollywood.' So, they finally, after 40
years, put that sign up, even though I’ve talked about it for years.
So, we’ve got a lot of wonderful things planned for the whole season
that’s celebrating the 40th anniversary. It seems just like a few
years back, but it’s like everything else: I was with Carl for 60
years, and Dollywood’s 40 years old. And that’s just hard to believe
because I’m only 27. (laughs)
AP: Have you accepted that you’re the Dolly Parton, global
superstar?
PARTON: I don’t think about my life in terms of ‘superstar.’ I’m
just a workin’ girl. I always say — and it’s the truth — that I am a
workhorse that looks like a show horse. But I gotta keep it all up
and I enjoy all of it. … 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.
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