Dolly Parton Dedicates New Song If You Hadn't Been There To Late Husband
Friday, 07 March 2025
Written by Jon Stickler
Dolly Parton has shared a new song, If You Hadn't Been There.
The emotive ballad combines gentle piano, acoustic and pedal steel guitar with a soaring gospel-style choral arrangement, and is dedicated to Carl Dean, the country music icon's late husband, who died earlier this week aged 82.
Parton, 79, announced the single on social media and shared the accompanying artwork, an old photograph of herself embracing Dean, who chose to remain out of the public eye, leading a private life away from the spotlight. Captioning the post, she wrote:
"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. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him."
Parton released her latest studio album, and 49th overall, 'Rockstar', in 2023. More recently, she featured on a new version of Sabrina Carpenter's track Please Please Please, one of five bonus songs on the deluxe edition of the pop singer's 2024 album 'Short n' Sweet', out now.
A Dolly Parton musical, titled Hello, I'm Dolly, will head to Broadway in 2026, though further details, including a theatre and dates, are still to be announced.
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