Dolly Parton Mourns Husband Carl Dean as She Remembers ‘the Love We Shared’
Legendary singer Dolly Parton is requesting prayer after her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died Monday. He was 82. Dean largely stayed out of the public eye during their marriage, running an asphalt-paving business in Nashville and preferring a quiet life away from the spotlight. He and Parton met in 1964 outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat and married two years later in a small ceremony. They met the day she moved to Nashville at age 18.
Parton credited Dean for being a steady source of support and inspiration for her, even influencing her hit song Jolene.
"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years," Parton said in a statement. "Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."
Parton told NPR in 2008 that she wrote Jolene after spotting a bank teller flirting with Dean.
"She got this terrible crush on my husband," Parton said. "And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, 'H---, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.' So it's really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one."
Dean valued their relationship over fame, choosing simple joys like traveling in their RV. Unlike Parton, who enjoys the spotlight, Dean rarely walked a red carpet or attended public events -- a lesson learned early in their marriage. While attending an awards show in 1966, he told her, "I love you, and I will support you in your career any way I can, but I am not going to any more of these wingdings," Parton wrote in her autobiography, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.
The two, though, shared a strong bond.
"There's always that safety, that security, that strength," she told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "He's a good man, and we've had a good life, and he's been a good husband."
If Dean spotted a reporter, he would refuse to talk.
"He never wanted to be part of any of that, never did interviews. [He] would just run like a scalded dog. If somebody said, 'Are you Carl Dean? Can you answer a few questions?' 'No, I don't answer questions,'" she told the newspaper.
Singer Zach Williams, who collaborated with Parton, requested prayer for her.
"My friend Dolly lost her husband of almost 60 years today," Williams wrote on Instagram. "They modeled a wonderful example of love and devotion. Join me in praying for my friend, her family, and all the people Carl Dean impacted."
Dean and Parton renewed their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016. "And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth," Dean said then, according to The Tennessean.
Dean is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony, the family said.
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/zachwilliamsmusic
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published March 04, 2025.
