United Kingdom, March 20 -- Dolly Parton is "doing better" than she thought she would following the death of her husband.

Carl Dean passed away on March 3, aged 82, and Dolly has now revealed how she's coping with life without her long-term partner.

Speaking to Knox News, Dolly shared: "I'm doing better than I thought I would.

"I've been with him 60 years. So, I'm going to have to relearn some of the things that we've done. But I'll keep him always close."

The 'Jolene' hitmaker - who married Carl in 1966 - admitted that her late husband "suffered a great deal" before he passed away. But Dolly is now "at peace that he's at peace".

She added: "[It's] a hole in my heart, you know, but we'll fill that up with good stuff and he'll still a...