"I have not stopped crying..." - Dolly Parton opens up about Grand Ole Opry tribute to late husband Carl Dean

Dolly Parton took to Instagram stories on March 21, thanking the country stars who dedicated a tribute performance of her song I Will Always Love You. The three-hour special Opry 100: A Live Celebration which aired live on March 19, featured a performance by country singers dedicated to Parton's late husband Carl Dean.

Parton's husband Carl Dean passed away at 82 on March 3, 2025, after spending sixty years of marriage with the singer. The singer was 18 when she first met Carl in 1964 at Nashville's Wishy Washy Laundromat. Three days after his death, Parton released a song dedicated to Dean titled, If You Hadn't Been There.

Parton mentioned that she has "not stopped crying" since the tribute.

"I have not stopped crying over the beautiful tribute of 'I Will Always Love You' on the 100th Anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry show. All those beautiful people with all their beautiful voices singing my song as a tribute to my husband Carl...the emotion was beyond words. I have cried enough to wash a great deal of the pain away so thanks to all of you beautiful people that helped make that possible. I also will always love you. - Dolly"

Parton announced the news of Dean's death on Instagram on March 3, noting that he would be laid to rest in a private ceremony with only immediate family present.

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More about the Grand Ole Opry tribute to Dolly Parton's husband Carl Dean

Weeks after Dolly Parton's beloved husband Carl Dean passed away on March 3, country singers honored him at the Grand Ole Opry on March 19. The performance was curated by a choir of around 50 Grand Ole Opry members, along with well-known singers in country music including; Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood of Lady A, Reba McEntire, and Carrie Underwood.

Before the performance began, a video featuring Dolly was played where she could be heard saying,

'Well hello, I am Dolly Parton and I am a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry. And I am so sorry that I can't be there with everybody in person, but of course you know my heart is with you and my spirit is with you."

Earlier this week, while speaking to Knox News, Dolly mentioned that she's "doing better than I thought" and that she's glad that he's at peace, after "suffering a great deal." The country singer noted that there's a "hole in my heart" and Carl will always be with her.