Sadly, on March 3, Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s longtime husband and creative muse (“Jolene“) died at 82 years old.

To mourn the death of Dean, Parton stepped away from the public eye. Yesterday (March 14), the multiple CMA and Grammy Award-winner surprised supporters with her first appearance since Dean’s passing during the 40th season celebration for Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.

In a clip captured by an attendee (viewable here), Parton expressed her gratitude to her fans for their support during this tough time. She also delivered a touching speech about her love for Dean.

“I just want all of you to know how much I appreciate you for everything that has happened to us in the last several years,” she said. “But before I start all that, I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for all the flowers and the cards and the well wishes for the loss of Carl.”

She continued: “You know how I loved him, and he would want me to be working today. I expect to be working. So anyway, I just wanted you to know that, of course, I will always love him, and I’ll miss him, but I wanted you to know that I will always love you!”

Dolly Parton also penned and recorded a tribute track for her late husband, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” which is available online now.