Less than a week after her husband Carl Dean died, Dolly Parton released a song in his memory.
The celebrity unveiled “If You Hadn’t Been There” on Instagram, complete with cover art depicting a young Dolly wrapping her arms around her beau.
“I fell in love with Carl Dean at the age of 18. “We’ve spent 60 precious and meaningful years together,” she wrote in the accompanying post. “Like all great love stories, they have no end. They live on through remembrance and song.”
“He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him,” she says.
Dolly announced Carl’s death at the age of 82 on Monday.
“I wouldn’t be here/If you hadn’t been there,” Dolly sings in her homage. “Holding my hand/ Showing you care/ You made me dream/ More than I dared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there.”
She previously cited “If You Hadn’t Been There” as a song she wrote for the Broadway musical based on her life, which will begin previews in Nashville this summer.
