Dolly Parton offered an emotional tribute to her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died earlier this week. The legendary country artist released a new song titled, If You Hadn’t Been There, in an Instagram post on Friday.
“I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old,” Parton wrote. “We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. 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.”
The pair were together for six decades before he died on Monday aged 82. Her voice trembles as she sings the new song, “If you hadn’t been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust, love, and belief”.
“You made me dream / More than I dared,” she continues. “And I wouldn’t be here / If you hadn’t been there.” The cover of the track includes an old photo showing Parton with her arms wrapped around Dean. Parton, 79, expressed her gratitude for fans’ support after her husband’s death.
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