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www.dollymania.net News March 2025 March 8:  Dolly on Friday paid public tribute to her late husband, Carl, by releasing the single "If You Hadn't Been There" in his memory. The song, which she wrote a few years ago inspired by her Uncle Bill Owens, Porter Wagoner, Fred Foster, Carl, and others who helped her along the way, is to be featured in her Broadway musical Dolly: An Original Musical. When she announced the Nashville premiere a few weeks ago, she had said the song was coming soon as a single but a release date was never announced until it was decided to use it to honor Carl, who passed away Monday. Stream the tribute on YouTube here or in the media player above and download from Amazon here.In releasing the song, Dolly shared on social media: "I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him." The release came one day after Dolly issued a statement on social media: "This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you've sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl. I can't reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God's arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you. – Dolly" Dollywood Media Event For Diamonds Only March 3:  Carl Thomas Dean, longtime private husband to Dolly, died Monday, March 3, at age 82, three months shy of their 59th wedding anniversary. The couple had been together nearly 61 years. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie. Our prayers from Dolly's fans are with her and their family at this time. May he rest in peace.
The two famously met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville shortly after Dolly moved to town to pursue a career in music. Their first official date a few days later was dinner at Carl's parents' house where he proclaimed she was the girl he was going to marry. They dated for two years before marrying on May 30, 1966, across the state line in Ringgold, Ga., to keep it out of the Tennessee papers since her record label at the time had asked her not to marry. They kept their marriage secret for a year until she had her first hits under her belt and her label told her they could marry. She wrote several songs about him and for him over their marriage, including "From Here To The Moon and Back" as discussed in the media player above, even attributing her recent rock album to his love of rock and roll. However, he remained out of the spotlight. He attended her first awards ceremony, where she and her Uncle Bill Owens were honored for writing the top 10 Bill Phillips hit "Put It Off Until Tomorrow," but she said he had such a bad time he asked to never be invited to any music industry events ever again in the future. He remained at home when she toured or made movies, and he worked a regular job as an asphalt paver. In recent years, he had been in ill health and that influenced Dolly's decisions to retire from touring and to build an entertainment studio in Nashville in partnership with her management for recording TV specials, interview remotes, and albums closer to home to avoid having to leave him for lengthy periods of time. The passing was announced on Dolly's official social media with a notation that he will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending and a request from the family for privacy during this difficult time. In the statement, Dolly said: "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." No word has been released on whether the passing will imapct her regular annual appearance at Dollywood's season opening festivities. 'Please, Please, Please' Enters Country Top 20 Dolly's collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter on her former pop No. 1 "Please, Please, Please" has brought Dolly her 113th chart country single and amazing 76th top 20 country hit as the duet debuts at No. 17 on the March 1 Billboard Hot Country Songs chart thanks to 6.3 million streams and 2,000 paid downloads in its first week of availability. The song returned to several other charts under Carpenters' name only, presumably because more than 50 percent of the streams/sales of were her original from the reissued deluxe version of the album rather than its bonus cut with Dolly (as the song also climbs 21 spots to No. 25 pop on the Hot 100 and No. 13 digital song sales without Dolly listed). The deluxe album, Short & Sweet Deluxe Edition, propels the album back to No. 2 pop, No. 1 album sales and current album sales, No. 4 streaming, No. 2 Canadian, and No. 1 vinyl. Billboard notes here that Dolly extends her record for the most decades with a top 20 entry on the country charts with seven from her first in 1967 through this year earning eight in the '60s, 34 in the '70s, 27 in the '80s, three in the '90s, one each in the 2000s and '10s, and now two in the '20s. Next week, Carpenter's album will dip three on the pop albums tally to No. 5. Elsewhere on the charts: Dolly's 'CMT Crossroads' Released To Paramount+ Dollywood Readies 40th Season Opening |