Dolly Parton Makes First Public Appearance Since Husband Carl Dean’s Death

Dolly Parton celebrated the opening of Dollywood’s 40th anniversary season on Friday morning (March 14), marking the country superstar’s first public appearance following the death of her beloved husband, Carl Dean.

Parton started off the event thanking guests for their love and support after Dean’s passing. “I just want to say thank you and I love you for all the flowers, cards and well-wishes,” she said, per Knoxville, Tenn., news station WVLT, before referencing her iconic 1973 ballad, “I Will Always Love You.” “I just wanted you to know that of course, I will always love him. I will miss him, and of course I will always love you,” she said.

Dean was 82 years old at the time of his death. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” Parton shared in her public statement. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”

The statement ends with requests for privacy from the family. A cause of death has yet to be publicly revealed. Parton and Dean met as young adults in Nashville, Tennessee, before they tied the knot on May 30, 1966 in Ringgold, Georgia. To celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2016, the couple renewed their vows.

Following his death, Parton paid tribute to Dean with a heartfelt love song “If You Hadn’t Been There.”