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Dolly Parton: The life of a leading lady in music and kindness
A quick look at the incredible life of Dolly Parton.
A new Dolly Parton song released Friday is an emotional tribute to her devoted husband of 60 years, Carl Dean.
Dean, who avoided the spotlight, died Monday in Nashville at 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by his immediate family.
"Words can’t do justice to the love we shared," Parton said in a statement announcing his passing.
"If You Hadn’t Been There" by Dolly Parton
The song, "If You Hadn’t Been There," is a ballad that starts with, "If you hadn’t been there, where would I be?"
RELATED: Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, dies at 82 after nearly 60 years of marriage
"You always see the best in me. Your loving arms have cradled me," Parton sings. The music swells and on the chorus, she's joined by a choir, her voice soaring.
FILE - Dolly Parton speaks onstage during Kicking Off CMA Fest: A Special Conversation With Dolly Parton Hosted By Rachel Smith at Music City Center on June 06, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage)
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At the end, she retreats back to a whisper for the song's titular line: "I wouldn't be here/If you hadn't been there."
What they're saying:
"I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song," Parton wrote on Instagram Friday morning. "He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him."
Singers Kasey Musgraves and Lainey Wilson were among the many people who commented on the post showing Parton their support.
"we love you and are holding you, Dolly," Musgraves wrote on Instagram.
RELATED: Dolly Parton is sending free books to children across 21 states — and worldwide
"I love you sister. Lifting you up. Y’all’s love story inspires me and Duck," Wilson wrote.
How did Dolly Parton and Carl Dean meet?
The backstory:
Parton met Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville at age 18. They married two years later, on Memorial Day in 1966. Dean also inspired one of Parton's best-known songs, "Jolene," after a flirty bank teller seemed to take innocent interest in her husband.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library funding cut from Indiana governor’s proposed budget
Parton and Dean were very private about their relationship.
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Dolly Parton sings to man with terminal cancer
"Hey LG, it’s Dolly P. I’ve heard you’ve been a fan of mine for many years, and I just wanted to thank you for that," she told the man in a sweet phone call.
"A lot of people say there’s no Carl Dean, that he’s just somebody I made up to keep other people off me," Parton told The Associated Press in 1984.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting.