Dolly Parton’s angelic voice floated throughout her first gospel album in 1971 with songs like “I Believe,” “Lord Hold My Hand” and the album’s title track, “Golden Streets of Glory.” The entertainment icon says the same steadfast faith that inspired those hymns have anchored her throughout her grief following the death her husband, Carl Dean.
“I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday. And I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we’ve built together,” said Parton. “You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans — but that’s the hardest part.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree reflected on her marriage of nearly 60 years while promoting her new single-serve Southern-inspired frozen meals, following her popular Duncan Hines baking mixes via a collaboration with US-based Conagra Brands. Dean, who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit “Jolene,” as well as her 2023 “Rockstar” album, died in March at 82.
“I really feel his presence,” said the 10-time Grammy winner. “I just try to go on, because I know I have to. And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn’t make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.”
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The 79-year-old recording artist spoke with The Associated Press about her perspective on life without her husband, her entrepreneurial spirit and on why she’s never embraced the title “superstar.” The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
AP: It seems like the entire world was thinking of you following your loss. Has your perspective changed of what you hope to accomplish after losing your husband?
PARTON: No, I just think that I’ve always had dreams and I’m always working. My husband understood that. Carl knew that better than anybody and he was all about it. He was very proud of me. … So when I did lose him, I just thought, well, I’m going to take all of that energy, and I’m just going to put that back into other things, and I’ll keep him ever-present in everything that I do.
AP: You have so many business ventures and philanthropic work. Where did your entrepreneurial acumen begin?
PARTON: I just think that if you’re successful, if you are lucky enough to see your dreams come true, you need to make new dreams out of your other dreams. Because it’s like a tree with lots of limbs and leaves, so every dream, you can kind of branch off — if you’ll pardon the expression — and do other things. And I like the business end of things. I like seeing things happen, and I love making things happen. So, my mind just naturally works that way.
AP: You have your popular Duncan Hines cake mixes and now, your single-serve frozen meals. What other projects are you working on?
PARTON: I have a new book coming out … this one is called ‘Star of the Show,’ which is actually a song I wrote years ago. But it’s about my life on the road and my life on stage — all the behind the scenes and all the people that I’ve met, and all of the things that happen when you’re traveling like that as I have for all of these years. So, that, and then I have my life story as a musical. It’s called ‘Dolly: An Original Musical.’ And I’ve written a lot of original songs for it. Of course, it’ll have the big hits that are woven into the story. And it’s just about my life, from the time I was little until up through now.
It’s going to be at the Fisher Center of Performing Arts at Belmont University (in Nashville). Then, once that has its run through the end of August, then we take it to New York to open on Broadway next year.
AP: How are you celebrating the 40th anniversary of your Dollywood theme park?
PARTON: One of the things they did for the 40th anniversary was put a big sign up on the hill there above Dollywood that says “Dollywood” like the Hollywood sign. … Years ago, when I thought, ‘Well, someday I’m going to have my own theme park and I’m gonna change that H to a D and have Dollywood.’ So, they finally, after 40 years, put that sign up, even though I’ve talked about it for years. So, we’ve got a lot of wonderful things planned for the whole season that’s celebrating the 40th anniversary. It seems just like a few years back, but it’s like everything else: I was with Carl for 60 years, and Dollywood’s 40 years old. And that’s just hard to believe because I’m only 27. (laughs)
AP: Have you accepted that you’re the Dolly Parton, global superstar?
PARTON: I don’t think about my life in terms of ‘superstar.’ I’m just a workin’ girl. I always say — and it’s the truth — that I am a workhorse that looks like a show horse. But I gotta keep it all up and I enjoy all of it. … My husband always said, ‘If anybody was ever born to be a star, it’s you.’ Because he sees me loving to do all the things and playing and stuff — it’s play time for me. But I take it very serious.
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