Dolly Parton’s Heartbreaking Loss: Inside Her Life Without Carl Dean

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Dolly Parton will always love Carl Dean.

A few days following her March 14 visit to her Dollywood theme park for its 40th anniversary season, marking her first public outing since confirming her husband’s passing at 82 years old, the 79-year-old woman revealed insights into how she has been coping with her sorrow.

Dolly shared with Knox News during an interview on March 17 that she’s in a better state than she initially anticipated. Having been with him for 60 years, she acknowledged that there will be some aspects of their relationship that she’ll need to re-learn. However, she emphasized her intention to keep him close always.

Additionally, the renowned figure in country music expressed that since her long-term partner endured much hardship, she finds solace, stating, “I am content knowing he is at peace. However, this doesn’t prevent me from yearning for him and holding deep affection.

To put it simply, following Carl’s death in March, Dolly acknowledged that she has been significantly impacted, yet she intends to concentrate on finding positivity moving forward, as expressed through a poignant song titled “If You Hadn’t Been There.

It feels like there’s a void in me,” she went on, “yet we can fill it with positive memories, and he’ll forever remain close to my heart.

Beyond expressing her sorrow, the singer famously known for “I Will Always Love You” also reminisced about one of Carl’s beloved hobbies: exploring and enjoying Dollywood as a tourist.

She shared, “He would visit the park himself.” She purchased her own admission ticket – waited patiently in line to get it. He preferred not to have someone give him a free pass because he was married to Dolly. People find that hysterical, she added.

She commented that about Carl, who was well-known for shying away from public life, “He might say something like, ‘I guess I’ll take a visit to Dollywood and see what it’s all about.’

Besides savoring the park’s funnel cakes and rides, he also saw it as a chance to offer his wife constructive suggestions.

Dolly chuckled as she put it, “He suggests that you should have more restrooms, or advises you to inform someone about something specific because it’s getting congested over there. He may even suggest some actions for them to take.

As a lifestyle advisor, I understand that Carl wasn’t intending to criticize, but rather pointed out observations with good intentions. He’d often share insights like, “You might find it beneficial to draw attention to this,” always acting from a place of love and concern.

For more insight into Dolly and Carl’s six-decade love story, keep reading… 

In 1964, Dolly Parton had parted ways with two suitors in her native Sevierville, Tennessee, and thus finding herself in a new romantic situation was furthest from her thoughts as she moved to Nashville shortly after finishing high school.

Unfortunately, it was on a walk to the laundromat in Nashville, her first day there, that she encountered Carl Dean on the street.

Reflecting on that day, I recall encountering him in his white Chevrolet. He passed by and good-naturedly remarked, “You might get a bit too much sun out here, young lady!” as he drove past. Unfortunately, he was never one to speak to the media.

She mentioned in her 2020 book Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, that they began conversing, and I developed feelings for him, while he reciprocated those feelings towards me. In another interview, the petite artist (who was only 18 when they first met) remembered how sun-kissed Dean appeared as he stood taller than her at 6 feet 2 inches. Being that he had a paving business with his father, the 22-year-old was often exposed to sunlight.

She didn’t immediately jump into his car, but instead, she cautioned him, as Stephen Miller’s biography, “Smart Blonde,” recounts. She expressed concern about trusting strangers, fearing they might lead her down a secluded road and harm her. Despite this, Parton did invite Dean to visit her at her aunt and uncle’s house the next day. However, she only agreed to spend time with him outside. He returned every day for a week, and when he took her out on their first date, he first drove her to his parents’ home because, as Parton explained, “he knew from the moment he saw me that I was the one he wanted.

However, as she was rising in recognition as a songwriter, frequently teaming up with her uncle Bill Owens at Combine Music, Fred Foster, her boss, cautioned that it might not be wise for her to get married because she was about to have her major breakthrough as a singer.

Rather than postponing their big wedding, she and Dean decided to elope on May 30, 1966, in Ringgold, Ga. Avie Lee Parton, the bride’s mother, was the only attendee at the ceremony, also acting as their photographer.

Despite keeping their marriage a secret, Foster remained unaware that he was married to Parton for an entire year. It wasn’t until someone in the music industry, noticing Parton’s rising fame, blurted out, “Aren’t you happy now that you didn’t get married?

Dolly Parton clarified that even though her passport reads Dolly Parton Dean, she chose not to alter her professional name due to the existing recording contract under her birth name.

Instead of saying it, let me rephrase: “She joked with The Guardian in 2014, saying, ‘If I had named myself Dolly Dean, I would have been known as Double D once more!’

At the BMI Awards dinner in 1966, Parton indeed attended with her husband, as they both received recognition in the country category for their songwriting collaboration on “Put It Off Until Tomorrow.

Following the event, my heart pounding with excitement and admiration, I couldn’t wait to free myself from that tuxedo before we even reached the car. As Dolly Parton penned in her memoir, “He said, ‘I’m proud of you.’ ‘Do what makes you happy,’ he added. ‘But please, never again ask me to attend another one of those events, because I won’t.'” True to his words, he’s kept that promise ever since.

Speaking as a lifestyle expert, let me share a little fact: I’ve been fortunate enough to receive the BMI Award for songwriting on numerous occasions – specifically 48 times so far. To add to this impressive collection, I’ve also garnered 10 Grammys (excluding the Lifetime Achievement Award I received in 2011). Furthermore, my trophy shelf is adorned with nine Country Music Association Awards and 13 Academy of Country Music Awards. And these are just a few highlights; there’s a whole host of other accolades that find their place among these awards too!

But the real prize was always waiting for Parton at home.  

In 2018, the star of 9 to 5 told People magazine, “I often joke about laughing when people inquire about the secret to my long-lasting marriage and enduring love.” She added, “I usually reply ‘Stay away!’ There’s a grain of truth to that. I travel extensively, but we truly cherish each other’s company when we’re reunited, and the little gestures we share mean a lot.

On one of their initial dinner outings, they opted for the McDonald’s drive-thru, sitting in Dean’s Chevy as recalled by Parton. Their culinary preferences as a couple remained relatively simple (even though Forbes estimated Parton’s net worth to be $440 million in 2023), and they frequently visited local eateries and embarked on road trips, with Ringgold – where they got married – being one of their favorite spots.

In an interview with Billboard in 2014, Dolly Parton expressed her love for reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband in their RV. She shared that even after long tours covering thousands of miles, she would eagerly ask to hit the road again. Her husband might joke about her tiredness, but she, being a gypsy at heart, would insist on more travel. When out of the spotlight, her life remains quite simple and uncomplicated.

Though if you wanted to catch her and Dean at Publix or Walmart, you had to stay up late.

Dolly Parton shared in 2019 during the premiere of her Netflix series, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, that she often visits places open around the clock at night. She mentioned that it brings her good fortune and while she encounters only a few individuals, she enjoys interacting with people, but prefers not to delay her shopping.

Despite scarcity of public images of the couple, fans might have been left puzzled over the years, thinking “This fuels speculation that my husband is fictional and I’ve merely invented him,” she penned in her 2020 book. However, the artist has occasionally shared vintage photos with the public.

She playfully featured her partner on the cover of her 1969 album “My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy,” where a collage depicted Parton lost in thought about her rough-and-tumble lumberjack companion, wearing his flannel shirt.

However, Parton acknowledged Dean’s discomfort with the limelight, so she did her best to keep him away from it whenever feasible.

She shared with ET in 2020 that “he tends to be a private and reserved individual.” She added, “He believed that if he ever stepped into the limelight, he would never have a moment’s rest – and as it turns out, he was correct about that.

On their 50th anniversary, they reaffirmed their vows at home, allowing Parton to don the stunning wedding gown she had always envisioned. Additionally, she composed a song, “Forever Love,” that mirrored their eternal love, which was one of several songs inspired by her and Dean’s enduring relationship on her 2016 album titled Pure and Simple.

She shared with Rolling Stone about their second special day, saying, “I donned the most stunning dress you could imagine, while my husband was dapper as any leading man from Hollywood. A small group of family and friends joined us, and we deliberately avoided anything grand or stressful. Instead, we meticulously planned a low-key event at our chapel on our property, focusing on making it enjoyable rather than complicated.

Besides the typical queries about her formula for a successful marriage, Parton likewise responded to a fair share of questions concerning her and Dean being a couple without children.

Dolly Parton expressed in an interview with Billboard, “Previously, I believed I should feel remorseful about not having children.” However, she continued, when she and her husband were dating, and later married, they assumed they would have children. They didn’t take any preventative measures. In fact, they had names picked out if it happened, but it didn’t. Now, she reflects, “God did not intend for me to have kids, so everyone else’s children can be mine.

She revealed to The Guardian that, hypothetically speaking, if they had a daughter, they would have called her Carla. Dean and she often pondered about the characteristics their children may have possessed.

According to her, she believes she could have excelled as a mother. She might have sacrificed everything else for the role, as she felt it would have been unfair to leave her children behind while working. If that had happened, her life likely would have taken a different course, and she might not have become as famous.

But as the fourth of 12 siblings, she has had plenty of people in her life to dote on.

She shared with Billboard that she has a strong bond with her family, as five of her younger siblings lived with her and her partner for quite some time. She also mentioned they are close to their nieces and nephews. As Carl and she grow older, they often express gratitude that they did not have children of their own, meaning they no longer have the worry of raising kids.

Which also left more time to focus on each other.

In 2020, Parton shared with People magazine that we still have our special moments, reminiscent of the spring when the first daffodils bloom. Even if there’s still some snow around, my husband always surprises me with a bouquet. He often writes a short poem too, which I treasure deeply. To me, that’s more valuable than any material gift. It feels like a date all by itself.

They found greatest joy in either enjoying a cozy meal at home under candlelight or spending the night at a Days Inn (as long as the room was tidy and had a restroom), simply indulging in their preferred activities.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: Despite Dean not attending events like the Grammys or Oscars, my wife, Dolly Parton, is always immaculate, even when she sleeps with her signature mascara intact. Regardless of the occasion, she transforms into a vision of glamour merely by being awake, making it a daily spectacle for me to behold.

She expressed that he expects her to maintain a certain level of presentability because she values not wasting opportunities given to her. However, in essence, “He really doesn’t have strong opinions about my clothing choices, as long as I feel content. He cherishes me just the way I am.

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2025-03-20 04:18