Dolly Parton got candid about how she is moving on from her husband Carl Dean's tragic passing in March after she revealed he had been "ill for quite a while".
The country legend spoke to The Independent about finding peace without Carl by her side after they had been married for almost 60 years.
Grieving his loss
© Instagram"I really feel his presence," she told the publication. "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," she continued. Dolly then explained how her faith was helping her come to terms with his death, sharing, "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," she added. "You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans – but that's the hardest part."
Working through it
© Getty ImagesSince his death, the "Jolene" singer has been working steadily while dealing with her grief. "I just think that I've always had dreams and I'm always working," she said. "My husband understood that. Carl knew that better than anybody and he was all about it. He was very proud of me."
Dolly added that she had decided to "take all of that energy" and "put that back into other things" in order to "keep him ever-present in everything that I do."
She recently celebrated the 40th anniversary season of her theme park, Dollywood. The 79-year-old also released a song soon after Carl's passing titled "If You Hadn't Been There", which she dedicated to her late husband.
"Like all great love stories, they never end," she wrote on social media. "They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him."
Longtime lovebirds
Dolly and Carl first met at a laundromat in Nashville on the day that she moved to the city in 1964.
They were married in Georgia two years later, and Carl was happy to give his wife the spotlight while he worked on his asphalt business.
While they never had kids, they were proud of their army of nieces and nephews, and Dolly is a loving godmother to singer Miley Cyrus.
© Dolly PartonThe Grammy winner announced her husband's passing via Instagram, writing: "Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He is survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie."
The statement continued: "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy. The family asks for privacy during this difficult time."
To learn more about their beautiful love story, watch below...
