Country legend Dolly Parton has been married to Carl Thomas Dean since 1966 and she credits her the belief in God with saving their union after she learning they could not have children.
In an interview with Closer Weekly, Parton shared that she experienced depression after undergoing a hysterectomy in the 1980s, which made her unable to bear children. The country crooner pulled out of it by turning to God in daily prayers for strength and said "a belief in God is essential."
"Sometimes God just has to smack you down," Parton said of this sad moment in her life. "He was almost saying, 'Sit your pretty little ass down because we have to deal with some stuff!'"
For two years, Parton worked on her healing and turned down work commitments. It was also around this period when the "9 to 5" star suffered guilt over an emotional affair.
Her guilt made her consider ending her life but as the singer was eyeing her gun, her dog Popeye jolted her back to reality. "I kinda believe Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God," the country crooner said. Parton begged God to forgive her and she sought His help.
After these low points in her life, Parton and Dean decided to build a small chapel at their property in Tennessee. A friend revealed that the country star and her husband spend a lot of their time in this spiritual sanctuary to reflect, pray and write songs.
"She always lets God's hand guide her through life," the friend said. "And she's always come to the realization that God believes her place is with Carl."
Parton grew up among 12 siblings in a one-room house. Her grandfather was a minister who taught her and her siblings to always pray. She recalled that she would sometimes go to a nearby abandoned chapel with a broken piano to sing and worship God and pray earnestly.
"[The Lord was] a friend I could talk to on a one-on-one basis," Parton shared.
