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Dolly Parton reveals painful secret she kept from her fans to protect her private husband before his death

The Pittman Center, Tennessee-born icon told the outlet: 'I really feel his presence. I just try to go on, because I know I have to.'

The 78-year-old music legend, speaking in an interview with The Independent published Wednesday, said that her beloved spouse had been 'ill for quite a while' prior to his passing at 82 on March 3. Speaking with NPR in a 2008 chat, Parton said that the woman who inspired the track had 'this terrible crush on [her] husband and he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. While the emotions brought about by the bank teller made for the creative backbone of the hit song, Parton said the name Jolene itself was from a young fan who attended one of her concerts.

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