Dolly Parton has shared that her late husband, Carl Dean, had been “ill for quite a while” prior to his passing.
The country music legend revealed in March that Carl, her partner of nearly six decades, had died at the age of 82.
Though Carl maintained a very private life and was rarely seen in public, Dolly Parton opened up about his health in an interview with The Associated Press published on Thursday.
“I really feel his presence. 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,” she said. “But that still doesn’t make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.”
Dolly Parton did not disclose any specific information about the nature of Carl’s illness.
She did, however, reflect on how supportive he had always been. The singer mentioned that he was consistently “very proud” of her.
“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,” she continued.
At 79, the Jolene singer is currently promoting her upcoming book, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, and developing a musical based on her life and career.
“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,” she added.
Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is scheduled for release on 11 November.
