Dolly Parton Says She’s Putting Some Music On Hold After Husband Carl Dean’s Death: “I Can’t Do It Right Now”
Dolly Parton is taking the time she needs to mourn the loss of her husband. Earlier this year, Dolly Parton lost her husband of nearly 59 years, Carl Deal, who passed at the age of 82. An Instagram post shared to Dolly’s account shared the news, and also provided a statement from the country music legend: “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 […] The post Dolly Parton Says She’s Putting Some Music On Hold After Husband Carl Dean’s Death: “I Can’t Do It Right Now” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.


Dolly Parton is taking the time she needs to mourn the loss of her husband.
Earlier this year, Dolly Parton lost her husband of nearly 59 years, Carl Deal, who passed at the age of 82. An Instagram post shared to Dolly’s account shared the news, and also provided a statement from the country music legend:
“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 months have passed, and though the loss is still affecting Dolly Parton, she’s as busy as ever.
I’m sure her husband Carl Dean would have wanted for his busy-bee wife to keep plugging along full-steam ahead, and that’s exactly what she’s doing. In an interview that Parton did with Khloe Kardashian, the country music singer explained why she chooses to stay active and engaged with her work… and it mostly comes down to her feeling as though she can’t waste the gift that God has given her:
“I always say that I live on spiritual and creative energy, and I always want to see things happen. Not only do I want to see things happen, I want to make things happen. It’s because of my faith that I believe I can do something. I believe I’d be sinning if I didn’t make the most of everything that God has given me to work with.
Every day I wake up, I think… well of course I have to carry over the things that we’re working on, but there’s always new dreams. I always say I wake up with new dreams every day. A lot of the people that work with me, they say, ‘Yeah and your dreams are killing us.’ Because they have to help me carry them out.”
Dolly went on to share that she loves life, loves people and is still crazy about her job. Most importantly, Parton said that she can’t imagine ever retiring, revealing that she’d rather “wear out than rust out.” I had never heard that before, but it’s only fitting that Dolly Parton was the one that added that phrase to my lexicon.
Though she can’t fathom retirement, Dolly did admit that she’s slowed a bit with writing music. Mainly because a lot of her ideas are coming from an inner place that’s still mourning her husband, and as she told Khloe Kardashian, Parton just can’t emotionally get through that right now:
“There’s a few things now. My husband passed away three months ago. When you asked if there’s stuff I’ve started that I haven’t finished, several things I’ve wanted to start, but I can’t do it. I will later. 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 ‘cause I got so many other things that I can’t afford the luxury of, you know, of getting that emotional right now. 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.”
Take all the time you need Dolly.
The living country legend talked a lot about her process and her faith in the Lord, which has helped keep her grounded during this difficult time in her life. You can hear about all of that and more in the interview that was just recently posted to X: