Dolly Parton’s Husband of Nearly 60 Years, Carl Dean, Dead at 82
Courtesy of Dolly Parton/Instagram
Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, has died at the age of 82.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” Parton, 79, wrote via an Instagram statement on Monday, March 3. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Dean died on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee and will be “laid to rest in a private ceremony,” per the statement. A cause of death has not been revealed.
He is survived by Parton and his two siblings, Sandra and Donnie. The family has asked for respect and privacy during this “difficult time.”
Dolly Parton Explains Why 'Homebody' Husband Refuses to Join Her at Events
Many fans and members of the music industry took to the comments section to pay their respects.
“That’s beautiful you to have such a long time with your husband. I hope he rests easy,” Diplo replied, while Lainey Wilson penned, “I love you .”
Morgan Stapleton, who is the wife of country singer Chris Stapleton, wrote, “We love you .”
The Associated Press was first to report the news. Us Weekly has reached out to Parton for comment.
Parton and Dean tied the knot in May 1966, two years after the couple first met in Nashville. Parton and Dean first connected at the Wishy Washy Laundromat the same day she moved to town to begin her music career.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me)” Parton once said of Dean, per her website. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Courtesy of Dolly Parton/Instagram
While Dean stayed out of the limelight for the majority of his life, Parton would constantly gush about her longtime love.
“We’re the perfect partners,” Parton exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2022. “We both have a great sense of humor. … We’re able to solve any problem and any situation, making a joke about it and not letting it get too heavy, but we respect each other and we like each other. We lucked up, let’s put it that way.”
She continued: “You know, most people can keep a marriage [going strong] if you make a little effort. Some people just get slouching and lazy and about stuff that ain’t important, like leaving the toilet seat up. And if that’s the worst thing you’ve to worry about, you’re already in trouble.”
A Look Back at Dolly Parton and Husband Carl Dean’s Nearly 60-Year Romance
In December 2024, Parton opened up about why Dean opted to live a more quiet life.
“Well, he was a homebody, and that worked well for us. He was in asphalt paving, but his sign is Cancer and I’m Capricorn, and those are compatible signs,” Parton said on an episode of Bunnie Xo’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast. “The Capricorn is the mountain goat because it’s always climbing and the Cancer is more of a homebody. He really was. He wanted to be around home. I loved to go and see what else is out there, but I think that’s worked well for us.”
Parton added that while her husband loved music he was upfront with her about not being involved in the industry.
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