Dolly Parton has paid tribute to her husband Carl Dean in her first public appearance since his death. The 79-year-old country music singer’s husband died aged 82 on March 3. She paid tribute to him during a surprise concert at the preview for Dollywood season passholders ahead of opening for its 40th season in Tennessee.

Parton revealed in a 2022 interview that she would probably never tour again, citing her need to remain close to home because “something could happen.” Open the Youtube video.

Few journalists ever got to meet Carl Dean, the husband of Dolly Parton, who died Monday at age 82. He was renowned for his reclusiveness, developing a legend — probably in spite of himself — as perhaps the least-sighted but most-speculated-about spouse of any enduring superstar in the last half-century of pop culture.