Country music icon Dolly Parton announced the passing of her husband, Carl Dean, on Monday at the age of 82. The couple, who were married for nearly 60 years, shared a life largely kept out of the public eye despite Parton’s global fame.
In a heartfelt post on X, Parton wrote, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”
The pair first met in 1964 outside a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee, on the day Parton moved to the country music capital. She was 18, and Dean was 21. Recalling their first encounter, Parton shared on her website, “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Two years later, in May 1966, the couple married in a modest ceremony attended only by Parton’s mother, the preacher, and his wife. Their low-key wedding set the tone for their enduring marriage, with Dean consistently avoiding the spotlight despite his wife’s skyrocketing career.
Dean, a Nashville native, worked as an asphalt paver while Parton became one of the most celebrated figures in country music, earning the title of “queen of country music.” Together, they enjoyed a quiet, private life away from the glare of fame.
In a 2015 interview with People magazine, Parton shared, “We like to get out in our little RV and just be simple. I love to read, I love to cook, I love to be with my husband.” The couple did not have children.
Born in 1942, Carl Dean is survived by his two siblings, Sandra and Donnie. Parton often spoke fondly of Dean’s parents, Edgar “Ed” Henry Dean and Virginia “Ginny” Bates, whom she affectionately called Mama Dean and considered her best friend.
The music world and fans worldwide have expressed their condolences to Parton, celebrating the enduring love story she shared with Carl Dean.
