Dolly Parton has made her first public appearance since her husband, Carl Dean, died at the age of 82. The country icon turned up in person at the 2025 opening of Dollywood on Friday (March 14), putting aside her personal troubles to smile and wave at fans who had traveled from all over the country to be there.

It’s now been almost three weeks since Dolly Parton announced the death of Carl Dean, her husband of more than five decades. The singer has already made her first public appearance since losing him — at Dollywood’s 2025 opening day last Friday (March 14) — and she even greeted fans at the event,

Dolly Parton has made a surprise appearance at her Dollywood theme park to mark the beginning of celebrations for the park's 40th anniversary - and paying tribute to her late husband