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Country music legend Dolly Parton has honored her late husband, Carl Dean, with a deeply emotional new song, If You Hadn't Been There. The tribute, released on March 7, comes just days after Dean passed away at the age of 82 on March 3.
Parton, 79, took to Instagram to share the song's release, posting a throwback photo of her and Dean together. "Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end," she wrote. "They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him."
The ballad, featuring gentle piano, acoustic guitar, and pedal steel, opens with the poignant lyrics: "If you hadn't been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust, love and belief." As the song progresses, Parton reflects on the journey she and Dean shared, singing, "The ups and downs / We've always shared / And I wouldn't be here if you hadn't been there."
Dean, who was known for his private nature, remained largely out of the public eye throughout their nearly 60-year marriage, despite Parton's immense fame. The couple met in 1964 at a laundromat in Nashville, a moment Dean once described as life-changing. "My first thought was, 'I'm gonna marry that girl.' My second thought was, 'Lord, she's good lookin,'" he recalled in a rare public statement in 2016.
Following Dean's passing, Parton expressed her gratitude to those who sent condolences. "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."
Parton also found comfort in her faith, writing, "He is in God's arms now, and I am okay with that." She concluded her message with a reference to her iconic song, I Will Always Love You.
The release of If You Hadn't Been There follows a history of personal tributes in Parton's music. The song echoes her eulogy for her late uncle and mentor, Bill Owens, in 2021, where she similarly wrote, "I wouldn't be here if he hadn't been there."
With this heartfelt ballad, Parton ensures that her love story with Carl Dean will live on in song, a fitting tribute to their decades-long bond.
