Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of almost six decades and the man whose playful banter sparked her iconic hit “Jolene,” has passed away at the age of 82. Parton shared the heartbreaking news today through an Instagram post. “Carl Dean, beloved husband of Dolly Parton, breathed his last on March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82,” the post began before quoting Parton, who expressed, “‘Carl and I shared countless beautiful years together. No words can capture the love we cherished for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and condolences.'”
Throughout their lengthy marriage, Parton honored Dean’s strong desire for privacy, which she continues to uphold even in his passing by requesting “privacy during this challenging period.”
A Nashville native born in 1942 to Virginia Bates Dean and Edgar Henry Dean, Dean crossed paths with Parton on the first day she arrived in Nashville in 1964 to pursue her music career. Their serendipitous encounter took place outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in the city. Two years later, they tied the knot. In a tribute commemorating their 50th anniversary in 2016, Parton reminisced about their initial meeting, sharing on her website, “I was taken aback and thrilled that he looked at my face while speaking to me (a rare occurrence for me). He appeared genuinely interested in discovering who I was and what I stood for.”
In a rare 2016 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Dean recalled his own memory of their first meeting. “My initial thought was, ‘I’m going to marry that girl.’ My next thought was, ‘Oh my, she’s stunning.’ That day marked the beginning of my life. I wouldn’t exchange the past 50 years for anything in this world.”
Parton disclosed in 2012 that only her mother, the pastor, and Dean’s wife were present at their wedding ceremony, which they had to keep private due to the insistence of Parton’s record label at the time, who wanted their rising star to remain unmarried for promotional reasons.
Despite assuming they would have children, Parton revealed in a 2014 Billboard interview that it didn’t happen for them. Parton and Dean did not have children but remained devoted to each other until Dean’s passing.
While Parton strove to shield Dean from the public eye as her career soared, she often mentioned him in interviews, including revealing that he was the inspiration behind her iconic song, “Jolene.” The character of the captivating seductress in the song was based on a bank teller who Parton claimed was overly friendly with her husband. “She developed a huge crush on my husband. He loved visiting the bank because she showered him with attention. It became a running joke between us,” Parton shared with NPR in 2008.
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