Dolly Parton still adjusting to life without husband

Dolly Parton says she's still coming to terms to life without her husband.

Dolly Parton has thrown herself into work since her husband died.

The 79-year-old music star lost her beloved spouse, Carl Dean, two months ago and admitted she still gets “very emotional” when talking about him.

Speaking on the Today show, she said: “Oh, you know what, I get very emotional when people bring it up. But we were together 60 years. I’ve loved him since I was 18 years old.

“It’s a big adjustment just trying to change patterns and habits. I’ll do fine, and I’m very involved in my work and that’s been the best thing that could happen to me. But I’ll always miss him, of course, and always love him. He was a great partner to me.”

Parton also joked she had no idea Dean was “so famous” as she thanked fans for the outpouring of love following his death.

She said: “I’m so thankful. I’ve gotten so many cards, letters, flowers, from all over the world. I had no idea Carl Dean was so famous.”

After Dean died, Parton posted on Instagram: “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, speaking a few weeks after his death, she told Knox News, “I’m doing better than I thought I would. I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”