Dolly Parton has made her first public appearance since the death of her husband, Carl Dean.
Nearly two weeks after his death, Parton stepped out to attend an opening day event for Dollywood season passholders on March 14. The event was held in honor of the theme park’s 40th season celebration in Tennessee.
While on stage, Parton thanked her fans for their support and their well wishes after the passing of Dean.
“I just want all of you to know how much I appreciate you for everything that has happened to us in the last several years. But before I start all that, I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for all the flowers and the cards and the well wishes for the loss of Carl,” she said.
“You know how I loved him and he would want me to be working today. I expect to be working. So anyway, I just wanted you to know that, of course, I will always love him and I’ll miss him, but I wanted you to know that I will always love you!” she added.
On March 3, Parton announced that Dean had died in a statement she shared on Instagram. He was 82.
Then a few days after his death, the “Jolene” singer thanked her fans for all the kindness they’ve shown her amid her loss.
On X, she said, “This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all 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. He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”
Parton and Dean were married for nearly 60 years. In wake of his death, Parton released an emotional song called “If You Hadn’t Been There.”
When she announced the track on Instagram, she shared a throwback photo of her and Dean together. In the caption, she talked about their love story.
