Dolly Parton Shares New Year’s Message After a Year of Loss and Milestones
Dolly Parton closed out 2025 by offering fans a message of gratitude, resilience, and hope, marking the end of a year defined by both personal loss and professional achievement.
In a short New Year’s Eve video shared on Instagram, the country icon wished followers well as the calendar turned. “Can you believe it’s already time to ring in the New Year?” Parton said. “As we say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, I want to wish each and every one of you a year filled with happiness and more blessings than you can count.” She added that she hopes 2026 will be “your most wonderful year yet.”
The message arrived after a particularly emotional year for Parton. In March, she announced the death of her husband, Carl Dean, who died at age 82 after nearly six decades of marriage. Dean, who largely avoided the spotlight throughout Parton’s career, had been her partner since 1966. In a statement at the time, Parton reflected on their life together, writing, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”
Days later, Parton released “If You Hadn’t Been There,” a ballad dedicated to Dean that underscored the depth of their relationship. While she continued to make public appearances and attend industry events, Parton later acknowledged that the loss had a profound impact on her creative process. Speaking on Khloé Kardashian’s podcast earlier this year, she revealed that she had temporarily stepped back from songwriting. “I’ve got so many wonderful, beautiful ideas,” she said, “but I can’t afford the luxury of getting that emotional right now. So I’m just putting that all on hold.”
Despite the grief, Parton remained active across multiple creative fronts. In September, she postponed six scheduled Las Vegas performances after experiencing what she described as “health challenges” that disrupted rehearsals. She did not specify the nature of the procedures her doctors recommended, but later confirmed the shows would be rescheduled for September 2026.
The remainder of the year included several notable highlights. Parton collaborated with Sabrina Carpenter on a remix of “Please Please Please,” bridging generations of pop and country audiences. She also released a music video for her version of Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home,” featuring appearances from the band itself, a collaboration that underscored her long-standing interest in genre-crossing projects.
In November, Parton received an honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards, recognizing her decades-long impact on music, film, and philanthropy. The honor joined an already extensive list of accolades spanning country music, popular culture, and humanitarian work.
