Country music legend Dolly Parton has announced the passing of her husband, Carl Dean, at the age of 82. The couple shared nearly six decades together, keeping their marriage private despite Parton’s global fame.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton shared in a heartfelt post on X.
Their love story began in 1964 when they met outside a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee—the very day Parton moved to the city to pursue her music career. She was 18, and Dean was 21.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” the singer recalled. “He seemed genuinely interested in who I was and what I was about.”
They exchanged vows in May 1966 in a quiet ceremony, attended only by Parton’s mother, the preacher, and his wife. Dean remained out of the limelight as Parton’s career skyrocketed, earning her the title of “Queen of Country Music.”
A Nashville native, Dean worked in asphalt paving while the couple embraced a private life together. “We love to take our little RV and just enjoy the simple things,” Parton once shared. “I love to read, cook, and spend time with my husband.”
The couple never had children, but their bond remained strong. Dean was born in 1942 to Edgar “Ed” Henry Dean and Virginia “Ginny” Bates. Parton fondly referred to his mother as “Mama Dean,” considering her a dear friend.
He is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie.
