'Words Can't Do Justice To The Love We Shared': Dolly Parton's Husband, Carl Thomas Dean, Has Died At Age 82 After Almost 60 Years Of Marriage
Dolly Parton has announced that her husband of almost 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, has died at age 82. The two first met outside a laundromat in Nashville, TN, in 1964, when Dolly was 18 years old and Carl was 21. They married two years later, in 1966.
A brief statement that was posted to Dolly's social media pages on Monday read: 'Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie.'
Quoting Dolly, the post adds: '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.'
'The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time,' the statement concludes.
Dolly's glittering career first took off in 1967 — a year after she met Carl — when she became a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show. She, of course, went on to achieve global fame, but despite being by Dolly's side since the very beginning, Carl has always avoided the spotlight.
Richard E. Aaron / Redferns
Dolly reflected on this during a 2024 appearance on the Dumb Blonde podcast, where she said: 'He loves music, but he's not the least bit interested in being in it.'
Dolly also recalled the one time she convinced him to attend an awards show with her back in 1967, where she won BMI Song of the Year. Carl apparently told her afterward: 'I wish you the best, but don't ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain't going.'
In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight, Dolly said that her husband has only seen her perform live once, and quoted him as telling her: 'I didn't choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together.'
Still, Dolly has always been open when it comes to publicly discussing their relationship, and in Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words, she opened up about her and Carl's wholesome meet-cute, sharing: 'I walked outside, there was this good-looking man that drove by the Wishy-Washy laundromat. And he pulled over to the side. So we started talking and we married two years later.'
And, famously, Carl has been the inspiration behind some of Dolly's most popular songs, including her 1973 hit 'Jolene.' Speaking to NPR in 2008, Dolly said of the woman name-checked in the track: 'She got this terrible crush on my husband, and he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.'
Danny Martindale / WireImage
Later, while performing at Glastonbury festival, Dolly told the crowd: 'I wrote that years ago when my husband was spending a little more time with 'Jolene' than I thought he should be. I put a stop to that. I got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry.'
Meanwhile, Dolly said during a 2023 appearance on BBC Radio 2 that her and Carl's relationship has lasted because of 'love and respect,' going on to add: 'You know, I would have liked him if he wasn't my husband. If he was somebody else's husband, I'd say, 'You know that Carl Dean, ain't he funny? Ain't he a good guy?''
Jason Kempin / Getty Images
And in a 2011 interview with the Toronto Sun, she said: 'We're really very proud of our marriage. It's the first for both of us. And the last.'
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