Dolly Parton pays musical tribute to late husband with new release

Dolly Parton is dealing with her husband, Carl Thomas Dean’s, loss by piecing their beautiful memories together in a song.

The 79-year-old country star took to Instagram to announce her new track, If You Hadn’t Been There, on Thursday, March 6th.

Alongside the update, the legendary singer shared a nostalgic picture of the couple, smiling, as Parton wrapped her arms around Dean’s neck.

“Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end,” the Jolene hitmaker wrote in the caption.

“They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him,” she added of the song, on which she sings, “If you hadn’t been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust, love and belief.”

“The ups and downs / We’ve always shared / And I wouldn’t be here, if you hadn’t been there,” the song goes on.

This comes after Parton’s beloved husband passed away on Monday, March 3rd, in Nashville at the age of 82.

The couple got married back in 1966, and this year marked 58 years of their marriage.