Dolly Parton Relies on Faith After Husband’s Death
By Movieguide® Contributor
Dolly Parton’s faith has carried her through the many victories and trials of life. That’s true now more than ever following the death of Carl Dean, her husband of 59 years.
“Everybody’s got that spiritual background,” Parton told Closer Weekly of her faith. “I think that good neighbors and faith and trust in God — and in one another — helps everyone pull together as a team. You got to pull as a community, as a family. That’s the only way you can keep going.”
The 79-year-old singer and songwriter added “A belief in God is essential. Our grandparents believed in anointing people with olive oil and praying over them if they were ill, so if we were injured, we were prayed for.”
Faith was the foundation of her marriage, too.
“Parton insisted that it was her faith in God that truly saved her marriage,” Southern Living said. “Prayer continued to play such a large part in the couple’s daily lives that they built their own little chapel on their farm in Brentwood, Tennessee.”
Dean died on March 3.
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans,” Parton said on social media following his passing. “Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl.”
“I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you. – Dolly.”
READ MORE: DOLLY PARTON SHARES HUSBAND IS ‘IN GOD’S ARMS NOW’
To honor her husband, Parton released a song titled “If You Hadn’t Been There.”
“I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together,” she wrote on Instagram. “Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him.”
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +2