Dolly Parton makes her first appearance since husband Carl Deans death

Dolly Parton visited her very own Tennessee mountain home on Friday.Following the death of her husband Carl Dean on March 3, the country icon made her first public appearance at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.Parton, 79, arrived at the theme park to help kick off the resort’s 40th operating season.During her appearance, the singer addressed the death of Dean.“Of course I will always love him, and I’ll miss him, but I wanted you to know that I will always love you,” she said, per local news.Parton and Dean were married for 59 years before he passed away at the age of 82 in Nashville.The “I Will Always Love You” artist confirmed her partner’s death on Instagram.“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together.

Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” her message read. In a separate post, Parton thanked fans via Instagram for their support.“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans.

Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” she wrote.“I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me.

He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that.I will always love you.”Parton also paid tribute to Dean by releasing an emotional song titled “If You Hadn’t Been There.”The “Steel Magnolias” actress used a throwback photo of herself and Dean as the album cover art, which she shared via Instagram last week.In the photo, a young Parton wraps her arms around her husband’s neck as she stands behind him.“Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end,” she captioned the post.

“They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him.”“If you hadn’t been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust, love and belief,” Parton belts out on the track.“T...