Dolly Parton has been a staple of the music business for almost 60 years after getting her massive break within the Nineteen 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. Virtually 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 loss of life in March 2025.
Discover out extra about Dolly’s husband Carl Dean, and what they’ve mentioned about their relationship.
Do Dolly Parton & Carl Dean Have Children?
Dolly and Carl don’t have any youngsters, however with almost 60 years of marriage, it crossed their thoughts. Dolly revealed that she’d “dreamed” of getting youngsters, but it surely wasn’t “meant to be” in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. “My husband and I, after we first received married, we thought of if we had youngsters, 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 mentioned. “I’d have been an awesome mom, I feel. I’d most likely have given up every little thing else. As a result of I’d’ve felt responsible about that, if I’d have left them [to work, to tour]. Every part would have modified. I most likely wouldn’t have been a star.”
Dolly not too long ago admitted that she by no means felt the pull in the direction of motherhood in a 2023 interview with Saga Distinctive. “While you’re a younger couple, you assume you’re going to have youngsters, 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 mentioned. “If I’d had youngsters, I’d have stayed house with them, I’m positive, and anxious myself to loss of life about them. With every little thing that’s occurring, I’d hate to be bringing a toddler into this world proper now.”
That drive to work and achieve success in a troublesome business like nation music has been a significant component 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 received to make the sacrifice. Since I had no youngsters, and my husband was fairly impartial, I had freedom. I feel an enormous a part of my entire 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 youngsters so all people’s youngsters may very well be mine, so I may do issues, just like the Creativeness Library,” Dolly instructed Oprah Winfrey in a 2020 interview, by way of As we speak.
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 mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘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 individual and he figured if he ever received 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 “maintain him out of the limelight,” as he desires. “He mentioned, ‘I didn’t select this world, I selected you, and also you selected that world. However we are able to maintain our lives separate and collectively.’ And we do and we have now. 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 explanation why Carl wouldn’t be a part of her on pink 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 mentioned, by way of Southern Dwelling. “He went to 1 factor with me early on, after we first married, to a BMI Music of the 12 months [event], and he got here out of there taking off his tuxedo, his tie and all that and mentioned, ‘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
Aside from making their life collectively work between Dolly’s larger-than-life persona and Carl’s need for privateness, Dolly mentioned that the pair get alongside nicely. 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 totally different from the partnership she had with Porter. “My husband and I don’t argue,” she mentioned. “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 picture was an older image of the pair, and Carl was carrying a t-shirt along with his spouse’s face on it. “Discover you a accomplice who will assist you want my Carl Dean does!” Dolly captioned the publish.
Why Didn’t Dolly Parton Take Carl Dean’s Final Identify?
Whereas many followers know Dolly by her maiden title, she revealed that she took her husband’s final title however performs along with her personal. “My passport is Dolly Parton Dean. I signal quite a lot of my contracts Dean. I didn’t change names [publicly] as a result of I already had a file deal. It made no sense. He by no means requested me to,” she instructed The Guardian in 2014. “At house, 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 title 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. In truth, Carl has poked enjoyable on the tabloid headlines over time. She mentioned 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 received somebody to make up and he mentioned, ‘Right here’s yours and Burt’s child,’” she instructed 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 along with her.’”
Dolly Parton’s Husband Carl Dean’s Reason for Demise
Dolly introduced March 2025 that her husband had died, and a reason for loss of life was not instantly disclosed. Nonetheless, based on TMZ, Carl was beforehand identified with Alzheimer’s Illness in 2019.
