Dolly Parton has been a staple of the music trade for almost 60 years after getting her huge break within the Sixties. Her profession has made her a rustic icon, with quite a few hits together with songs like “Jolene” and “9 to five,” and she or he continues to be a massively influential singer to at the present time. Nearly so long as she’s been making music, she was additionally married to late retired businessman Carl Thomas Dean. The pair married in 1966, and their marriage lasted till Carl’s demise in March 2025.
She reminisced about their time collectively in a Could 2, 2025, interview with Immediately, saying, “Oh, you recognize what, I get very emotional when individuals deliver it up.” She added, “However we had been collectively 60 years. I’ve cherished him since I used to be 18 years previous.”
Discover out extra about Dolly’s husband Carl Dean, and what they’ve stated about their relationship.
Do Dolly Parton & Carl Dean Have Children?
Dolly and Carl don’t have any children, however with almost 60 years of marriage, it crossed their thoughts. Dolly revealed that she’d “dreamed” of getting children, but it surely wasn’t “meant to be” in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. “My husband and I, once we first acquired married, we considered if we had children, what would they appear like? Would they be tall – as a result of he’s tall? Or would they be little squats like me? If we’d had a woman, she was gonna be referred to as Carla,” she stated. “I might have been a fantastic mom, I believe. I might in all probability have given up all the pieces else. As a result of I might’ve felt responsible about that, if I’d have left them [to work, to tour]. Every little thing would have modified. I in all probability wouldn’t have been a star.”
Dolly just lately admitted that she by no means felt the pull in the direction of motherhood in a 2023 interview with Saga Distinctive. “Whenever you’re a younger couple, you assume you’re going to have children, but it surely simply wasn’t a kind of burning issues for me. I had my profession and my music and I used to be touring,” she stated. “If I’d had children, I’d have stayed residence with them, I’m certain, and apprehensive myself to demise about them. With all the pieces that’s happening, I’d hate to be bringing a toddler into this world proper now.”
That drive to work and achieve success in a tricky trade like nation music has been a significant factor in why Dolly doesn’t actually remorse not having kids of her personal. “I consider that I do know what I’m presupposed to, however you’ve acquired to make the sacrifice. Since I had no children, and my husband was fairly impartial, I had freedom. I believe an enormous a part of my complete success is the truth that I used to be free to work, and I didn’t have kids, as a result of I consider that God didn’t imply for me to have children so everyone’s children may very well be mine, so I might do issues, just like the Creativeness Library,” Dolly advised Oprah Winfrey in a 2020 interview, by way of Immediately.
How Did Dolly Parton & Carl Dean Meet?
Dolly revealed that Carl had referred to as out to her as she was doing laundry in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. “I used to be strolling down the road to the laundromat, and he stopped me,” she stated. “He stated, ‘Hey, you’re going to get sunburned out right here!’ Nicely, he needed to say one thing.”
Why Was Carl Dean So Non-public?
Whereas Dolly is immediately recognizable to only about anybody, Carl stored out of the highlight for a lot of his spouse’s profession. Dolly spoke about why her husband values his privateness in a 2020 interview with ET. “He’s like, a quiet, reserved particular person and he figured if he ever acquired on the market in that, he’d by no means get a minute’s peace and he’s proper about that,” she defined, noting that she’s at all times tried to “preserve him out of the limelight,” as he needs. “He stated, ‘I didn’t select this world, I selected you, and also you selected that world. However we are able to preserve our lives separate and collectively.’ And we do and now we have. We’ve been collectively 56 years, married 54.” Dolly even joked that the pair playfully say that her busy schedule is a part of why their relationship has lasted so lengthy.
The “Jolene” singer additionally revealed the rationale why Carl wouldn’t be part of her on purple carpets in a What Would Dolly Do? Radio broadcast in November 2023. “Carl has by no means been within the limelight and all, by no means needed to be in it. He don’t prefer it,” she stated, by way of Southern Dwelling. “He went to at least one factor with me early on, once we first married, to a BMI Track of the 12 months [event], and he got here out of there taking off his tuxedo, his tie and all that and stated, ‘Don’t ever ask me to go to a different considered one of these rattling issues as a result of I ain’t going.’ I by no means requested him and he by no means did.”
Dolly Parton Has Mentioned That Carl Dean Supported Her
Apart from making their life collectively work between Dolly’s larger-than-life persona and Carl’s need for privateness, Dolly stated that the pair get alongside properly. When talking about her tumultous relationship with late musician Porter Wagoner in a 2021 interview with W, Dolly revealed that her relationship with Carl was very completely different from the partnership she had with Porter. “My husband and I don’t argue,” she stated. “However Porter and I did nothing however battle. It was a love-hate relationship.”
Dolly additionally took to her Instagram in November 2021 to share a photograph of the rarely-seen Carl, and she or he celebrated his assist. The photograph was an older image of the pair, and Carl was carrying a t-shirt together with his spouse’s face on it. “Discover you a accomplice who will help you want my Carl Dean does!” Dolly captioned the submit.
Why Didn’t Dolly Parton Take Carl Dean’s Final Identify?
Whereas many followers know Dolly by her maiden identify, she revealed that she took her husband’s final identify however performs together with her personal. “My passport is Dolly Parton Dean. I signal plenty of my contracts Dean. I didn’t change names [publicly] as a result of I already had a document deal. It made no sense. He by no means requested me to,” she advised The Guardian in 2014. “At residence, to me, I’m Dolly Dean. However then I’m additionally Dolly Parton. I’m Dolly Parton Dean. I’m myself… If I had chosen the identify Dolly Dean… I’d have been Double D. Once more.”
Dolly additionally revealed that whereas there have lengthy been rumors that she’s cheated on Carl, she’s by no means been untrue. Actually, Carl has poked enjoyable on the tabloid headlines over time. She stated that he used their then pet-dog, named Popeye, to make a joke about rumors that she had an affair with Burt Reynolds. “After there was one thing written about an affair with Burt Reynolds, Carl got here in with this image of Popeye that he’d acquired somebody to make up and he stated, ‘Right here’s yours and Burt’s child,’” she advised Saga Distinctive. “He’s at all times handled these items tongue-in-cheek and he’ll say, ‘Hell, I’d really feel unhealthy for any man that didn’t fall in love together with her.’”
Dolly Parton’s Husband Carl Dean’s Explanation for Demise
Dolly introduced March 2025 that her husband had died, and a explanation for demise was not instantly disclosed. Nonetheless, in keeping with TMZ, Carl was beforehand identified with Alzheimer’s Illness in 2019.
