Dolly Parton spoke about her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, and struck an optimistic tone about her career in devastating final interview just four days before her death.
On Tuesday, Parton’s cousin, Bryan Seaver, who was also her head of security, announced that the country music icon had died at the age of 80.
The undisputed queen of the country told it People last week that she still had “so many things” she wanted to accomplish.
The Jolene singer did opened up about her health and the projects she was looking forward to, saying she had been dealing with a number of health issues that she had not paid attention to while caring for her late husband.
“It’s not like I haven’t been through some tough times with my health,” she said in her latest interview.
“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything is magnified in ways that weren’t possible years ago. I used to joke that I was the queen of tabloids, but now I think I can say I’m the queen of social media AI! But seriously, even though I’m still healing, I’m still working,” Parton continued.
“You know me – as I’ve said many times – I’ve been thinking myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m going to keep working as long as I can to see it all come to life.”
There were concerns about Parton’s health for months, but the pop culture icon regularly calmed her fans’ fears.
Legendary country star Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80
Parton said in her latest interview that she had previously experienced difficult times with her health
Parton’s well-known hits include Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You
She withdrew from several public appearances, including a Las Vegas residency and the opening of a new attraction, NightFlight Expedition, at her Dollywood theme park.
Fan videos from the event captured Parton’s recorded message, in which she told attendees that she was still in Nashville.
“So my doctor from Nashville kind of clipped my wings and said, ‘You’re not traveling this week.’ So I guess if your doctor tells you, ‘You’re not traveling this week,’ you’re not traveling this week,” Parton said in the video message.
Earlier this year, Parton told fans she was responding to medication, but the treatment left her feeling “a little swim-headed” and she needed time to heal before returning to the stage.
She assured her fans that she was still hard at work on projects like her new museum, Life of Many Colors, in Nashville, her new hotel and Broadway show, Dolly: A True American Musical.
Parton also told People in her latest interview that she was excited about partnering with Community Coffee to launch Cup of Ambition Coffee.
“That’s a dream I’ve had for over forty years, ever since I wrote the line about ‘cup of ambition’ in my issue 9 to 5,” she said.
“But you know, some dreams take longer to come true than others.”
Parton opened up about her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, in her latest interview, admitting that she hadn’t paid attention to some of her health issues while caring for him.
Parton had pulled out of her Las Vegas residency, telling fans she was taking medication and needed time to heal before returning to the stage
Parton wrote and recorded 9 to 5 for the 1980 comedy film of the same name, in which she co-starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
She wrote the song on set by clicking her nails together to form the beat, and it became one of her biggest hits of the decade.
It went on to win numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Country Song of the Year and Female Country Vocal of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
Parton’s death came more than a year after that of her husband, to whom she had been married for almost sixty years.
In her tribute at the time, she reflected on the “many wonderful years” they spent together, expressing their deep love and thanking fans for their prayers.
“Carl and I have spent many wonderful years together,” she said. ‘Words cannot do justice to the love we have shared for over sixty years. Thank you for your prayers and condolences.”
Parton and Dean first met at a laundromat in Nashville in 1964, when she was just 18. They married in 1966 and he remained a constant, supportive figure behind the scenes.
Parton’s cousin announced her death in a moving tribute, revealing in a video message that she “asked me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”
Parton withdrew from the recent events at Dollywood due to her health. She is pictured above at the theme park in 1988
Parton’s cousin said she was “living in the light” and was now “in the arms of Jesus” with her husband and parents. Her team remembered her legacy as ‘one of love, compassion and resilience’
Seaver praised his aunt for “living in the light” and said she was now “in the arms of Jesus” and in the company of her husband, as well as her parents and “countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in heaven.”
Her team said in a statement that she had a “strass life that shone bright enough for the world to see. Dolly will forever remain an inspiration, not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also through her humor, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family.”
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion and resilience,” the report continued.
“With a career spanning seven decades, she inspired generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”
