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Dolly Parton is spending time to recuperate following the death of her husband, Carl Dean. The 79-year-old country singer recently spoke about her mourning process in an appearance on Khloé Kardashian's podcast, Khloé in Wonder Land, on July 9. Carl Dean died in March 2025 after a nearly 60-year marriage.
Ever since Dean passed away, Parton has only made a few comments about her feelings. But now she is finally speaking about how the tragedy impacted her songwriting.
Dolly Parton released a new song, titled If You Hadn't Been There, on March 6, 2025, as a tribute to her late husband, Carl Dean, who died on March 3, 2025. The song honors their nearly 60-year marriage and looks back on the strong love and steady support Dean gave her throughout their life together.
Will Dolly Parton write new songs soon?
Dolly Parton said that she has ideas for songs for the future, but the emotional weight of writing them is too much at the moment.
“I’m just coming up with such wonderful beautiful ideas, but I think I won’t finish it,” she said. “I can’t do it right now, because I got so many other things.”
She added that it’s hard to go to a place of deep emotion when she still has ongoing projects and commitments.
“I can’t afford the luxury of, you know, getting that emotional right now,” she explained. Parton said she is not avoiding music completely, but is putting those specific songs on hold. “There are times like that, things like that, that will stall you a little bit. But I’ll write something else though, if it comes.”
Right now, she is focusing on healing and handling her life without Dean. She is allowing herself the time she needs before writing about such a personal subject.
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How has Dolly Parton coped with Carl Dean’s death?
Dolly Parton said that faith plays a big role in how she is dealing with the loss. At the beginning of the summer, she visited the church in Ringgold, Georgia, where she and Carl were married on May 30, 1966. This would have been their 59th wedding anniversary.
“We would always go down to Ringgold so — in and around our anniversary every year since we were married,” she told FOX News.
This time, she made the visit alone.
“That’s where I spent my anniversary, our first — my first — our anniversary without him, the first one,” she shared. “So I thought, well, I have got to go back and just take a picture on that — on the same steps at that same church.” She added that she felt like Dean was with her during that visit.
Speaking to the same outlet, she said, “I am a person of faith, even though I lost him on this earthly plane.”
She explained that while it is hard to adjust to life without him, her belief that she will see him again brings comfort.
“I will miss him every day,” she said, “but I know he’s in God’s arms now and not mine.”
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Will Dolly Parton eventually write new music?
Dolly Parton has not ruled out writing new songs in the future. She said she is just not ready yet.
“I’m just putting that all on hold,” she told Kardashian during the podcast.
The loss is still fresh, and she wants to wait until she can fully put her heart into it.
In an earlier interview with Entertainment Tonight, Parton also said, “Of course I miss him.” She added, “I’m having to really go through a lot trying to figure out how to be without him because I was with him for so long.”
She also mentioned that her grief is mixed with peace.
“There’s a part of me that’s happy he’s at peace and at rest,” she said. “But then of course, there’s that part of me that will miss him forever and long for him every day. For the rest of my life, I’m sure.”
Though no specific release date or project has been confirmed, Parton’s comments suggest that when the time is right, she may write and release new songs.
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