HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE

Emotional Dolly Parton Opens Up on Losing Husband

The famed singer’s husband passed away in March.

Dolly Parton is ready to talk about her late husband, nearly two months after he passed away on March 3. The iconic country singer appeared on the Today Show Friday to talk about the man she’s loved since her teenage years. Parton, 79, teared up as she said, “I get very emotional when people bring it up. But we were together for 60 years. I’ve loved him since I was 18 years old.” Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, kept his life out of the spotlight but was a lifelong supporter of his wife’s incredible career. The “Jolene” singer said she was thankful for the outpouring of fan support since Dean’s death. After one of her famous Dollywood parades, Parton remembers getting emotional because “there was just so much love ... right after I had lost Carl and I was just so bottled up with emotion, and I got in the van and just boo-hooed for the longest time.” Parton admitted that losing him has been a “big adjustment” in her life, but she knows she’ll “do fine.” “I’ll always miss him, of course, and always love him,” she added. “He was a great partner to me.”