Dolly Parton has taken the decision to put her recording career on hold, in the wake of the death of her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean.
The music icon announced told Khloe Kardashian on the podcast Khloe in Wonder Land: "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 emotional right now."
Admitting she is "stalled", she added: "I'll write something else, though, if it comes. I'm just putting that all on hold."
In the wake of Dean's death, Parton released the soaring ballad, If You Hadn't Been There.
Parton announced the release of her single on Instagram with a throwback pic of the married couple, and the caption: "Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end.
"They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him."
The new single opened with the line: "If you hadn't been there / Where would I be?"
Dean passed away on 3 March 2025, at the age of 82.
He was known for being a private person despite being married to one of the most famous women in the world. He and Parton married in 1966.
Source: © Cover Media