Singer

Dolly Parton is putting new music on hold following the death of her husband, she disclosed on the podcast “Khloé in Wonder Land.”

The 79-year-old country legend sat down with host Khloé Kardashian to discuss her faith, career and life advice on Wednesday’s episode. Though famously private about her marriage, Parton opened up about her decision to press pause on music while she grieves her husband of almost 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March at 82.

“Several things I’ve wanted to start, but I can’t do it,” Parton said. “I will later, but I’m just coming up with such wonderful, beautiful ideas. But I think I won’t finish it. I can’t do it right now, because I got so many other things and I can’t afford the luxury of getting that emotional right now.”

Parton and Dean wed May 30, 1966, and remained together until his death. Despite Parton’s fame, Dean avoided the spotlight and was rarely seen in public.

“We were so good for each other, because he’s a total loner,” Parton told Kardashian. “We could just be in the house all day and say two or three words, didn’t matter. Or we could talk all afternoon or lay in bed and talk at night “

“I really think that there’s just certain personalities that are great for each other. And we were together 61 years,” she said. “We were just so different, but we were so similar.”

Parton also noted that their zodiac signs were compatible: She’s a Capricorn and he was a Cancer.

The “Jolene” singer won her first Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) award in 1966, the year she and Dean married. He rented a tuxedo and got dressed to go to the ceremony but ended up taking it off before making it out the door, Parton said.

“I knew right then that I’m just gonna keep him private as best I can, never ask him to do nothing,” she said. “But he was very proud of me. We got along great, because we didn’t have nothing to fight over like that.”

Parton released a song dedicated to Dean, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” days after his death.

“Oh you are my rock / A soft place to land / My wings, my confidence / You understand / Your willingness / Beyond compare / No I wouldn’t be here / If you hadn’t been there,” she sings on the heartfelt track.

Kardashian is a longtime Parton fan. In 2024, her sister Kim Kardashian threw her a “Khloéwood”-themed 40th birthday party inspired by Dollywood in Tennessee. Kardashian and Parton collaborated earlier this year on a new denim line for Kardashian’s Good American fashion label: Dolly’s Joleans.

“They make your butt look good,” Parton said of the jeans, which she was wearing during the interview. “Even if you don’t have a good butt, they make it look good. And if you got a good butt, it’s amazing.”

During the hourlong conversation, Parton and Kardashian discussed everything from the singer’s love of makeup to Whitney Houston’s cover of Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Parton also shared her reaction to Beyoncé’s version of her 1973 hit “Jolene,” which appeared on “Cowboy Carter” last year.

“She flipped it around, thinking, ‘You think you can take my man?’ ” Parton said. “But she’s that cool. … I loved it, because as a songwriter, you love to hear how other people interpret your songs. And the fact that she did it, I knew I was gonna make a lot of money.”

In February, Parton was featured on the deluxe edition of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet.” She joined the 26-year-old pop star on a twangy reimagination of her chart-topping single “Please Please Please.”

When asked about her plans for the future, Parton said she didn’t know but that she has faith there’s more in store for her.

“I always look at my life like it’s been a tree. It had roots, deep roots, then it had all the limbs, then it had all the little leaves. Everything branches out to something else,” Parton said. “I know God’s gonna give me something else. I try to leave myself wide open. I try to keep myself very private in my world so I can hear what I’m supposed to know. And that I can act on. And I’ll go for it, and I’ll work it to death.”

Recording star Connie Francis says she is on the mend after a recent trip to the hospital to address some “extreme pain.”

The “Stupid Cupid” and “Lipstick on Your Collar” singer, who rose to fame in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, informed fans on Facebook that she is receiving care after undergoing tests and exams. “Thank you all for your kind thoughts, words and prayers,” she wrote Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, the 87-year-old “Pretty Little Baby” singer wrote on Facebook that she went to the hospital to learn more about the cause of her pain, which she said prompted her to call off an upcoming Fourth of July performance, her latest cancellation in recent weeks. Francis’ posts this week did not disclose much information about her condition, but a previous Facebook update provided some insight.

A week prior to her hospitalization, Francis announced on Facebook that she had been dealing with “pelvic pain on the right side” and underwent tests to determine “that this is due to a fracture.”

“It looks like I may have to rely on my wheelchair a little longer than anticipated,” she wrote, adding that she had to pull out of a then-upcoming performance.

Francis gave followers more information about her health in March, telling them in another Facebook post that she uses a wheelchair to avoid putting “undue pressure on a troublesome painful hip” and that she was awaiting stem cell therapy at the time.

Francis has spoken openly about her personal afflictions over the course of her career. She told the Village Voice in 2011 that she had been committed to several mental institutions in the ‘80s. She said she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after she was misdiagnosed with other mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, ADD and ADHD.

The singer, also known for “Where the Boys Are” and “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” recently had her music go viral on TikTok as users use her “Pretty Little Baby” for videos.

“I’m still astounded by the popularity of ‘Pretty Little Baby,’” she said last week, thanking the A-listers who have used her hit in their social media videos.

Rebekah Del Rio, the singer-songwriter known for bringing her talents to the David Lynch classic “Mulholland Drive,” has died.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Del Rio died in her home but did not disclose a primary cause of death, which is currently listed online as deferred. She was 57.

In Lynch’s 2001 thriller, Del Rio was the siren of the Club Silencio and introduced as “La Llorona de Los Angeles.” In front of a red velvet curtain with smudged mascara and a crystal teardrop on her cheek, Del Rio delivered a moving a cappella performance of “Llorando,” a Spanish-language take of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” Her voice echoes through the venue, bringing tears to the characters portrayed by stars Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. Del Rio’s appearance suddenly ends when she collapses and is carried off stage.

Del Rio was one of a handful of musical acts who collaborated with Lynch. The visionary director died in January. He also also worked with “Twin Peaks” composer Angelo Badalamenti, and singers Julee Cruise and Chrystabell. The last, who starred alongside Lynch in “Twin Peaks: The Return,” paid tribute to Del Rio on social media.

“The beauty and astonishing power of your voice could actually take my breath away. May your spirit know the deepest peace, may your heart rest,” Chrystabell captioned a still of Del Rio’s “Mulholland Drive” cameo. “Thank you for the kindness and care you showed me, it is written on my heart.”

In addition to “Mulholland Drive,” Del Rio appeared in Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” as a musical guest and performed her dreamy rock ballad “No Stars.” Her screen credits also include films “This Teacher,” “2307: Winter’s Dream,” “Southland Tales” and “Rabbits,” according to IMDb.

Prior to working with Lynch, Del Rio gained popularity in the Netherlands during the mid-1990s for the title track of her debut album “Nobody’s Angel.” She briefly moved to Nashville to take her music career to the next level — she was signed to Giant Records — but a car accident got in the way of those ambitions.

“Some man crashed into me and basically stole my opportunity, and I saw my own dream die,” she recalled to the Guardian in a 2022 interview.

She continued to pursue music, counting Il Divo, producer Heather Holley and composer Danny Elfman among her collaborators. Her discography includes her 2011 album “Love Hurts Love Heals,” a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and her 2021 single “Adios.” Weeks before her death, Del Rio performed at a charity event for the Philosophical Research Society.

Del Rio is preceded in death by her son Phillip, who died of cancer in 2009.

Sabrina Carpenter divided fans earlier this month with her choice of cover art for her forthcoming album, “Man’s Best Friend.” Playing on the title, she poses on all fours like a dog while a faceless man pulls her hair.

While some interpreted the cover as cheeky and ironic — especially given the themes of the album’s first single, “Manchild” — others accused the former Disney Channel star of promoting sexist stereotypes and setting women‘s rights back decades.

Carpenter has addressed criticism by releasing an alternative cover “approved by God,” the singer revealed Wednesday on Instagram.

The black-and-white image seemingly channels Marilyn Monroe as the singer, dressed in an elegant beaded gown, leans against a man in a suit. Carpenter is front and center while the man‘s face is partially hidden.

This isn’t the first time Carpenter has ruffled some feathers.

In 2023, she received backlash from the Catholic Church after she filmed parts of her “Feather” music video at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. The Diocese of Brooklyn said it was “appalled” by the nature of the video and the priest who allowed her to film there was removed from his administrative duties.

When asked about the incident in an interview with Variety, Carpenter responded, “Jesus was a carpenter.” She doubled down during her Coachella debut in 2024, wearing a shirt with the same phrase.

The singer has also raised eyebrows on her Short n’ Sweet Tour, which returns to North America this fall. During her sultry performance of “Juno,” she acts out a different sex position every night.

Carpenter addressed the criticism that she’s shaped her entire brand around sex in her June cover story with Rolling Stone.

“It’s always funny to me when people complain,” she said. “They’re like, ‘All she does is sing about this.’ But those are the songs that you’ve made popular. Clearly you love sex. You’re obsessed with it. It’s in my show. There’s so many more moments than the ‘Juno’ positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can’t control that.”

In a since-deleted post, an X user shared the first “Man’s Best Friend” cover and asked, “Does she have a personality outside of sex?” Carpenter responded, “Girl yes and it is goooooood.”

Among those who came to Carpenter’s defense of the original album art was “You’re So Vain” singer Carly Simon, who received backlash for the cover of her 1975 album, “Playing Possum.”

“She’s not doing anything outrageous,” Simon told Rolling Stone. “It seems tame. There have been far flashier covers than hers. One of the most startling covers I’ve ever seen was [the Rolling Stones’] ‘Sticky Fingers.’ That was out there in terms of sexual attitude. So I don’t know why she’s getting such flak.”

“Man’s Best Friend” will be released Aug. 29, a little over a year after Carpenter’s last project, “Short n’ Sweet.” Signed editions and copies with the alternative cover are available for preorder on her website.