Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, died Monday, March 3, at the age of 82.
Dolly Parton’s team announced Carl Dean’s death in a post made to social media, sharing that he would be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by immediate family.
Dolly added a personal statement that read, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Her team further requested privacy during this difficult time.
Photo credit: Dolly Parton/Facebook
About Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s Relationship
Dolly first met Carl at a laundromat on the singer’s first day in Nashville. In an interview with the New York Times, Parton recalled her first encounter with Dean.
“I’d come to Nashville with dirty clothes. I was in such a hurry to get here — and after I’d put my clothes in the machine, I started walkin’ down the street, just lookin’ at my new home, and this guy hollered at me, and I waved. Bein’ from the country, I spoke to everybody. And he came over and, well, it was Carl, my husband,” she shared.
In a rare public statement, Dean shared that his first thought upon meeting Dolly was, “I’m gonna marry that girl. My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”
The couple wed two years later in a simple and private ceremony witnessed only by Dolly’s mother, the preacher, and the preacher’s wife.
The couple renewed their wedding vows on their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016.
In a recent interview with Bunnie XO on the Dumb Blonde Podcast, Dolly shared a request Carl made early in their marriage.
Dolly told the host that Carl Dean made it clear that he had no interest in being involved in the music industry.
“He loves music, but he is not the least bit interested in being in it, and he told me that right up front,” she said.
Dean went to great lengths to maintain his privacy. After attending an award show with his wife early in her career, Carl reportedly told her, “I love you, and I will support you in your career any way I can, but I am not going to any more of these wing dings.”
Why did Carl Dean choose to keep a low profile? He had a good reason.
In 1981, Dolly supported her husband’s decision to stay out of the spotlight.
“He knows if he ever started doing interviews and if people started photographing him and all that, then he wouldn’t be able to go to the auto parts store or the ballgames and the places he wants to go without bein’ bothered,” she said.
Dolly shared the secret to her long-lasting marriage.
Parton told Bunnie XO that Carl is “a good guy. He’s quiet and I’m loud and we’re funny.”
She added, “Anytime things get too much tension going on, either one of us can like find a joke about it.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Dolly during this heartbreaking time.