Dolly Parton Says Husband Carl Dean 'Suffered a Great Deal' Before His Death

Dolly Parton is opening up following the death of her husband Carl Dean.

Earlier this month, the 79-year-old “I Will Always Love You” singer’s husband of nearly 60 years passed away at the age of 82.

In a new interview, Dolly shared an update on how she’s doing following her beloved husband’s passing.

Keep reading to find out more…“I’m at peace that he’s at peace, but that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him,” Dolly told Knox News.

She went on to say, “I’m doing better than I thought I would. “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

“It’s a hole in my heart,” Dolly added, “but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”

Without going into detail about Carl‘s death, Dolly did reveal that he “suffered a great deal.”

Following Carl‘s death, Dolly released an emotional song in his honor.

Also pictured inside: Dolly attended her Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs In Symphony world premiere on Thursday (March 20) at Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Calif.