Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s Beloved Husband of 58 Years, Has Passed Away
“Words can’t do justice…”
Dolly Parton, Carl Dean; Photo Courtesy Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is mourning the loss of her husband of over 58 years, Carl Dean. He was 82 years old.
The country music icon shared a statement late Monday (March 3) following his passing.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” Parton said. “Words can’t do justice for the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Also included in the statement were details about Carl Dean’s memorial service. He will soon be laid to rest in a private ceremony with only immediate family in attendance.
According to the post, he is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie.
Parton, her family, and Dean’s family are asking for privacy during this difficult time.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean met when Dolly was just 18 years old. She had just moved to Nashville and was doing laundry at the Wishy Washy Laundromat when Dean, who was 21 at the time, drove by in his truck. He passed by again and paused to warn her about the risk of getting a sunburn in her skimpy outfit.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton wrote on her website. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Dean knew he had to get to know Parton the moment he laid eyes on her.
“My first thought was I’m gonna marry that girl,” Dean shared in 2016. “My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”
Parton and Dean were together for two years before tying the knot in an intimate ceremony on May 30, 1966. They exchanged vows in a small church, with only Parton’s mother, Avie Lee, and the preacher and his wife as witnesses.
Dean quickly realized he preferred a life away from the spotlight after attending a high-profile industry event later that year. Parton was being honored with a songwriting award for the Bill Phillips hit “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” and Dean accompanied her for the evening.
“This was my first big record,” Parton recalled. “It went to No. 1 for Bill, and it was BMI’s Song of the Year. So Carl and I got dressed up, he was in a tux, and we drove to the dinner. We got out and walked up the red carpet and went inside and sat through dinner and the awards. After the dinner, Carl turned to me and said, ‘Dolly, I want you to have everything you want, and I’m happy for you, but don’t you ever ask me to go to another one of them dang things again!’”
From that moment on, Parton and Dean were rarely seen in public together. As Parton’s fame continued to grow, Dean remained content running his asphalt-paving business and staying out of the limelight.
In recent years, Parton revealed that Dean was facing some health issues and admitted that he is the main reason why she wasn’t touring.
“I don’t tour anymore,” she told Pollstar. “I’ve got so many business things I’m doing. And my husband and I are getting older — he’s a little older than I am — and I kind of need to be with him.”
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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