Dolly Parton unable to write new songs after losing husband of nearly 60 years

Country legend opens up about grief following the death of her husband Carl Dean

Country legend Dolly Parton is hitting pause on her next musical chapter as she grieves the loss of her longtime husband, Carl Dean.

After her husband’s death, the beloved country singer opened up about the way she coped with his passing and how it impacted her creativity.

“My husband passed away three months ago… [There are] several things I have wanted to start, but I can’t do it,” Parton shared on Khloé Kardashian’s podcast, “Khloé in Wonder Land.”

Dolly Parton pauses music projects while grieving husband Carl Dean’s death. (Getty Images/Dolly Parton/Instagram)

“I will later,” she added. “I’m just coming up with such wonderful, beautiful ideas, but I think I won’t finish it. I can’t do it right now, because I got so many other things.”

After Dean died in March at the age of 82, the “Jolene” singer explained that the pain is too fresh for her to dive back into songwriting at the moment.

“I can’t afford the luxury of, you know, getting that emotional right now,” she remarked. “There are times like that, things like that, that will stall you a little bit. But I’ll write something else though, if it comes.”

“I’m just putting that all on hold,” Parton said.

Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, died in March in Nashville. He was 82. (Dolly Parton Instagram)

The country icon has previously spoken out about her deep connection with her longtime husband.

Throughout their decades-long marriage, Parton gave a glimpse into their private life — a key ingredient to their almost 60-year marriage, she said.

When asked whether privacy played a role in their lasting bond, Parton told Kardashian, “It certainly… had a lot to do with it.”

“We were different people. He was not involved in the music business at all,” she continued. “He loved music, but he was a loner… He did not want a bunch of people around him, except me.”

“Of course he had friends,” she added, “But he was also the same way. He’d rather be at the barn, be on the farm all day.”

Despite their differences, Parton shared that her connection with her husband was built on something deeper. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Despite their differences, Parton shared that their connection was built on something deeper — a rare compatibility that made their relationship strong for over six decades.

“I really think there’s just certain personalities that are great for each other… we were together for 61 years,” she said. “We were just so different, but we’re so similar… we were perfect… so many things we were compatible about… and we just got along great.”

Dolly Parton’s 1970s hit “Jolene” was inspired by her late husband, Carl Dean. (Getty Images)

Parton first met Dean at a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1964 when she was 18 and he was 21. The couple tied the knot two years later.

Parton announced Dean’s death in a heartfelt statement that she shared on Instagram on March 3.

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” the “9 to 5” singer wrote. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”