Dolly Parton has announced the death of her reclusive husband Carl Thomas Dean, who has passed away at the age of 82.
The country singer, 79, confirmed his passing in a statement on Instagram on Monday (03.03.25), saying he had died in Nashville on 3 March.
She said: “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Carl, renowned for staying out of the spotlight, is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie, and will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family.
He and Dolly were married since 1966.
Despite her global fame, Carl largely avoided the spotlight.
In 2024, she spoke about his preference for privacy on Bunnie Xo’s ‘Dumb Blonde’ podcast, explaining: “He loves music, but he’s not the least bit interested in being in it.”
Dolly also recalled a moment early in their marriage when she convinced him to attend an awards show in 1967, where she won BMI Song of the Year.
Despite the win, Carl told her: “I wish you the best, but don’t ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain’t going.”
Dolly has frequently spoken about their relationship, crediting their shared sense of humour for its longevity.
She said: “He’s quiet and I’m loud, and we’re funny… we have a lot of fun.”
The singer and Carl first met at a laundromat in Nashville in 1964, when Parton was 18.
She later spoke about the encounter in ‘Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words’, saying: “I walked outside, there was this good-looking man that drove by the Wishy-Washy laundromat. And he pulled over to the side. So we started talking and we married two years later.”
Despite staying out of the limelight, Carl has inspired some of Parton’s work, including her 1973 hit ‘Jolene’.
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Speaking to NPR in 2008, she said: “She got this terrible crush on my husband. And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.”
Years later, while at the Glastonbury festival, she added: “I wrote that years ago when my husband… was spending a little more time with ‘Jolene’ than I thought he should be. I put a stop to that. I got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry.”
Though Carl never attended events with her, Parton said they found ways to maintain their romance.
