Dolly Parton says she’s put songwriting “on hold” since husband’s death

Dolly Parton has said she has put writing new songs “on hold” since the death of her husband in March.

• READ MORE: Dolly Parton – ‘Rockstar’ review: Queen of Country throws up Devil horns  

Carl Thomas Dean, who had been married to the country music legend for nearly 60 years, passed away earlier this year at the age of 82. In a heartfelt tribute at the time, Parton wrote: “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.”

Now, in a new interview on Khloé Kardashian’s Khloé In Wonderland podcast, she has spoken about the impact the loss has had on her creativity in recent months.

“My husband passed away three months ago,” she explained. “Several things I’ve wanted to start, but I can’t do it. I will later, but I’m just coming up with such wonderful, beautiful ideas. But I think I won’t finish it.”

The one and only @DollyParton We talked about God, glam, growing up, and how she’s stayed true to herself through it all. Watch now on @X pic.twitter.com/dYMogWnKuJ

— Khloé (@khloekardashian) July 9, 2025

“I can’t do it right now because I’ve got so many other things that I can’t afford the luxury of getting that emotional right now,” she added. “So there are times like that, things like that that will start here a little bit, but I’ll write something else, though, if it comes. So I’m just putting that all on hold.”

She went on to reiterate her passion for the craft of songwriting: “Everything begins with a story or a song,” she said. “Every movie, you’ve got to have a great story. It doesn’t matter how great the actress is or the actor, doesn’t matter how great the director is – if you don’t have a good story, you don’t have a project. Same with a song, all the great singers – some of them write, some of them don’t – but you’ve got to have a great song. I think that’s one of the reasons I love to write, because I feel like I’m so connected to God right then.”

In the weeks following Dean’s death, Parton said that she was “doing better than I thought I would”, adding: “I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done, but I’ll keep him always close.”

Parton and Dean began dating in 1964, tying the knot two years later. Despite the lengthy relationship, Dean was an elusive figure for the most part and he was rarely seen out in public or in photographs alongside his wife.

Soon after the news broke, she released the poignant new single ‘If You Hadn’t Been There’ in honour of her late husband and described the significance he had in her life and his role in helping her become the person she is today.

Elsewhere, it was announced last month that Parton would be awarded an honorary Oscar – the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award – in November for her “outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes”.

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