Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's Husband, Dead At 82
Carl Thomas Dean, Dolly Parton's husband of nearly six decades, has died. He was 82 years old. The "Jolene" singer shared the heartbreaking news on her Instagram page on March 5, 2025. "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," she wrote. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy." At this time, no cause of death has been disclosed. Dean is survived by Parton and his two siblings, Sandra and Donnie. According to the statement, he will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by his immediate family.
Parton and Dean were married for nearly 59 years, having tied the knot in May 1966. Their love story was legendary — so much so that "Jolene" was inspired by a bank teller who had a crush on Dean. "I wrote that years ago when my husband... was spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be," she said at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival. "I put a stop to that. I got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry." Of course, it was all in good fun, and their bond remained unshakable for decades.
Parton always spoke about her love for Dean with deep admiration. "Carl is the one man in my life," she once shared with People. "I would love to grow old with him. If he should die first, I may never marry again. My love is that deep." And despite her global superstardom, their nearly six-decade marriage remained private through and through.
Carl and Dolly had an incredibly private marriage
For someone married to one of the most famous women on the planet, Carl Thomas Dean managed to impressively stay out of sight — so much so that conspiracy theorists once questioned if he even existed. But Dolly Parton always set the record straight: Dean was real, he just had zero interest in being in the public eye.
"It's just not who he is," Parton told Entertainment Tonight. "He's like, a quiet, reserved person." She went out of her way to shield him, too. "I've always respected and appreciated that in him and I've always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can." Dean ran his own asphalt-paving business in Nashville, far removed from the rhinestone-studded life of his superstar wife. The two met in 1964 at a laundromat on 18-year-old Parton's first day in the city. "I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me)," she shared on her website. "He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about." That interest clearly stuck. They married two years later and stayed together for nearly six decades, renewing their vows in 2016 for their 50th anniversary.
While Dean preferred a low profile, Parton has never been shy about how much she adored him. "He's quiet and I'm loud, and we're funny," she said in an episode of the "Dumb Blonde" podcast. "Oh, he's hilarious. And I think one of the things that's made it last so long through the years is that we love each other [and] we respect each other, but we have a lot of fun." Our thoughts are with Parton and the rest of the family at this time.