U.S. country singer Dolly Parton says her faith has been a source of strength after the death of her husband, Carl Dean.
Her first gospel album, released in 1971, featured tracks like Believe, Lord Hold My Hand and Golden Streets of Glory. She said that the faith expressed on that album carried her through after Dean’s death in March.
"I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday,” she said.
“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. You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans – but that’s the hardest part."
Parton and Dean were married for nearly 60 years. Though he avoided fame, he inspired hits like Jolene and her 2023 album Rockstar.
"I really feel his presence... but that still doesn’t make up for the loss and the loneliness of it," she said.
She has a new book, Star of the Show, and an autobiographical musical premiering in Nashville in July and in Broadway in 20206.
“If you are lucky enough to see your dreams come true, you need to make new dreams,” she said. “It’s like a tree... every dream, you can kind of branch off.”
“My husband always said, ‘If anybody was ever born to be a star, it’s you.’”