Originally appeared on E! Online
Dolly Parton is still working her 9 to 5 amid her grief.
Nearly two weeks after announcing the death of her husband Carl Dean March 3, the “I Will Always Love You” singer attended the March 14 launch of her Dollywood theme park’s 40th season celebration.
At the event, her first public appearance since his death, Parton donned a tasseled pink dress and her signature blonde hair and performed music for the audience in attendance. She also shared her gratitude for their support of her dreams.
“Thank you to our guests and the community for the support they’ve given to my Dollywood for 40 years,” she said at the event, per a March 14 statement from the organization. “It’s hard to believe it has been that long, but it never would have lasted if it hadn’t been for you — our guests.”
She added, “It doesn’t matter what your dream is—even if it’s opening a theme park with your name on it—follow those dreams and never give up!”
While Parton shared her gratitude to her supporters in person, she had also extended her thanks to fans on social media who sent her well wishes following the news of Dean’s death.
READ Dolly Parton Releases Moving New Song Dedicated to Husband Carl Dean After His Death
“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,” she wrote in a March 6 Instagram post. “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that.”
Santa Fe officials said in a press conference Friday that Gene Hackman’s wife died from a virus found in rodents, and the actor likely died a week later, but both died from natural causes.
The 79-year-old added a personal message to her husband of nearly 60 years, which fittingly read, “I will always love you.”
Parton also honored her love story with Dean — who famously avoided the spotlight after not enjoying a 1967 event he attended with his wife — by releasing a song dedicated to him called “If You Hadn’t Been There” days after his passing.
“Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end,” she wrote on Instagram March 7. “They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him.”
In the heartbreaking and touching tribute, Parton sings, “I wouldn’t be here / If you hadn’t been there / Holding my hand / Showing you care / You made me dream / More than I dared / And I wouldn’t be here / If you hadn’t been there.”
