Dolly Parton's Marriage: Things You Didn't Know

Country music legend Dolly Parton was married for 58 years. She met Carl Dean in 1964, they got married in 1966, and the rest is history. Even with a marriage that long, though, it's easy to overlook. Dean was notoriously private and almost never seen in public or even in photos with Parton. He didn't attend red carpet events with her — even the really big ones — and he kept away from social media.

Still, the two remained happily married until Dean's death in March 2025. In the years since they met, though, Parton and Dean battled many rumors about their faithfulness to each other, as well as a lot of speculation about their extremely private relationship. Through it all, they remained strong and had one of the longest lasting marriages in Hollywood. Take a look at some of the things you probably didn't know about Parton's marriage. 

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean met back in 1964 in an unlikely fashion. According to Parton's official website, the two met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat on the very first day Parton moved to Nashville, Tennessee. When talking about their meeting, Parton said, "I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about." Dean made such a good impression that the two ended up getting married two years later.

Dean spoke about meeting Parton in a rare public statement obtained by Fox News, saying, "My first thought was, 'I'm gonna marry that girl.' My second thought was, 'Lord she's good lookin'.' And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth." Parton added, "If I had it to do all over, I'd do it all over again."

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean renewed their vows for their 50th anniversary in an intimate ceremony in 2016, auctioning off photos from the event for charity; however, their first wedding ceremony was much more low-key and private — in fact, it was totally secret.

In an interview with CMT News, Parton explained that her record label wanted her to wait a year to get married. Since they had invested so much money and time in building up her career, she felt she owed it to them to do that. 

Still, Parton, Dean, and her mother traveled across the state line to Ringgold, Georgia, and got married in a small ceremony on May 30, 1966. Parton said she wore "a little white dress" and carried a "little bouquet and a little Bible." She didn't want to get married in a courthouse, so they found a Baptist church nearby and got married there. 

Being married for nearly 60 years is a feat worth applauding when you're in Hollywood — and Dolly Parton is certainly not a small star. It's normal to wonder how these two made things work for as long as they did. As it turns out, Parton had kind of a strange secret to making their marriage last: She and Carl Dean spent a lot of time apart.

In an interview with People, Parton said she would always laugh when people ask her the key to their love, adding, "I always say 'Stay gone!' and there's a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we're together and the little things we do." 

In a 2011 interview with Taste of Country, Parton shared that she and Dean were both very independent people, so they don't need to be around each other all the time. She also added that they were friends too, saying, "You've gotta be great friends. And you've gotta be able to be accepting and just kind of know that you're not gonna change that person, because you married him because you loved 'em for what they were."

Dolly Parton has had so many hit songs during her long career, but one that has really defined her as a singer is "Jolene." The song is seemingly about a beautiful red-headed woman trying to steal away Parton's man, and it's not packed with meaningless lyrics. It's actually about a real situation Parton and Carl Dean went through.

The Independent reported that, at a concert in Glastonbury, Parton said the song was "loosely based on a little bit of truth," adding, "I wrote that years ago when my husband... was spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be."

The "Jolene" in the song is apparently based on a red-headed bank teller who had a "terrible crush" on Dean, according to a statement Parton gave NPR. Dean liked the attention and kept going back to the bank teller. Parton started teasing him about it, and it became a joke between them. So it's actually "an innocent song," according to Parton. She got the name "Jolene" from a red-headed fan she once met, and it stuck. 

Throughout their marriage, there had been rumors that Dolly Parton was actually the one who cheated on Carl Dean, having a relationship with her female assistant (via E! News). Parton has denied that, but she has revealed that she once had an emotional affair. In the book "Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters With Dolly Parton" (via Closer Weekly), she shared a little about the emotional affair, which was rumored to be with her band leader Gregg Perry (via Yahoo! Entertainment). 

Parton revealed that the affair made her so upset that she considered taking her own life, saying that she eyed a gun in her room for a long time, held it, and was stopped when her dog, Popeye, appeared. She said, "The tap-tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality, I suddenly froze and I put the gun down." That's the only affair Parton has admitted to. In an interview with The Guardian, Parton said, "I'm not admitting nothin'. Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. And it's none of your damn business!"

When Dolly Parton and Carl Dean would spend time together, they liked to keep things low-maintenance and simple — very simple. In a radio interview with Andy Cohen (via Country Living), Parton said they loved to go to Taco Bell together for date nights, adding that she loves their tacos and their "little pizzas." She explained, "It's hard for me to get him to dress up to go to a nice dinner because he's just a country boy and hates that stuff. We do whatever's good. We have a good time." 

She also told People in 2018 that, on one of their first dates, Dean took her to "the drive-in window and got our food at McDonald's." She said they have a few small places they enjoy going to because they know they won't be "bothered." In an earlier interview with People, she shared, "I put on my little comfy clothes -– I call them my baby clothes -– and we just relax."

Maybe you've wondered why Carl Dean never seemed to go anywhere high-profile with Dolly Parton. While that might seem like part of Dean's duty as her husband, Parton explained that he was extremely private. When speaking at a Marty Stuart Jam (via The Boot), Parton said she brought Dean to an event in 1966 where they got all dressed up and she received an award. She said that afterwards Dean turned to her 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!" 

In an interview with Vogue, Parton explained that she respected her husband's decision to stay out of the limelight, saying, "My husband is not one who wants to be just thrown out there. He's very private, and I've always respected that for him and about him." Speaking to People, Parton said that, while Dean wanted to be left out of her fame, "he's always been supportive." 

Even though they were together for so long, Dolly Parton and Carl Dean have never had kids. According to Closer Weekly, Parton had a partial hysterectomy in 1984, and while it was difficult for her to deal with at first, she doesn't regret that they could never have kids.

In an interview with The Guardian, she said, "My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, what would they look like?" She added that although they talked about it, "it wasn't meant to be" and once they were older, they were happy it didn't happen. She explained that if she had kids, she "probably would have given up everything else" and wouldn't have had the career she's had.

Parton also told Billboard that she used to think she should regret not having kids, but now she's so close to her nieces and nephews that it doesn't matter. She said, "Now that Carl and I are older, we often say, 'Aren't you glad we didn't have kids? Now we don't have kids to worry about.'"

For their 50th anniversary, Dolly Parton and Carl Dean renewed their vows in a small wedding ceremony on May 30, 2016. For the couple, it was way to redo their secret marriage from the first time around, and, this time, do things differently. She told Rolling Stone, "I got all dressed up in the most beautiful gown you've ever seen and dressed that husband of mine up. He looked like a handsome dude out of Hollywood." They kept the ceremony small with just a few family members and friends and exchanged vows at a chapel near their home. They didn't plan anything too elaborate, saying they didn't want any "commotion." 

Parton shared with People that she planned to sell the wedding photos to benefit her Imagination Library literacy charity, basically auctioning off the photos and donating the money from the highest bidder. She added that she was "shocked" Dean had agreed to something so uncharacteristically public. 

In 2016, Dolly Parton released her album "Pure & Simple," which is full of love songs. It's easy to assume that Parton wrote the tracks with Carl Dean in mind, and, well, that's because she did. In fact, she told Rolling Stone that she was inspired by her and Dean's 50th anniversary, saying that when thinking about the album, "I was just trying to think about all the different colors of love through the years. I thought, 'Well I'm going to write about mine and Carl's relationship.'" 

How did the name come up? She explained that she thought, "'It's just a pure and simple relationship,' so it started with that and then I thought, 'Well why don't I just write a whole album of love songs?'" Though the record isn't just about her relationship with Dean (some songs cover other types of romance), she said that she did write several songs about her husband.

In an interview on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" in late November 2018, Dolly Parton revealed a surprisingly intimate detail about her husband: There's an actress with whom he'd want to have a threesome. That person would be Jennifer Aniston. The "Friends" alum starred in the movie Dumplin', which featured a soundtrack of Parton's songs. When speaking to Fallon, Parton said she's a huge fan of Aniston and that her husband is "crazy about her." She added, "He was more excited that I was going to do a movie with her than he was that I got a chance to write all this music." Parton continued, "I think he kind of fantasizes, like, a threesome with us," saying, "He can't even get it out to pee much less get it up for three!" 

So what did Aniston think about all this?  "My mouth just dropped," she said, when asked by USA Today about her response to Parton's interview. "And then I laughed my (butt) off. That's Dolly." 

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean would do more than just go to fast food restaurants together. In an interview with Parade, she said that they have a "little RV" and they travel around together, saying, "We sight-see all of Tennessee and Kentucky, the areas that we can get back home from at night. Sometimes we'll stay over at a Days Inn [motel] where we can just pull up and sneak me in. We don't care, as long as the bed's clean and there's a bathroom. That's how we live." To Southern Living, she shared that they tried to travel every weekend to see "out-of-the-way places [where] other people don't go." They liked to see some history or just places that are "exceptionally beautiful." 

However, they never stay away for long. She revealed to People that while Dean loves little trips, "he doesn't want to be gone a long time." She explained, "He wants to be mostly around the house." But because he knows she loves to do a lot and go see different places, they make it work.

Carl Dean didn't just dislike going to public events and being photographed — he didn't even like to watch Dolly Parton perform live! In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Parton said that Dean had only seen her perform live a small number of times. She said, "He doesn't like to do that. He gets nervous seeing me perform. It's almost like seeing your kid in a recital. He's afraid I'll mess up." She went on, "Actually, he has seen me for a time or two and it did relax him a little. He saw that I do mess up and it's okay because people are not gonna punish me for it."

Parton also said that she doesn't really show him the music she writes and that he doesn't always listen to her music either, unless she essentially forces him to. It makes sense — Dean seemed to be so private that he didn't really like anything that has to do with Parton's mega-fame. 

Obviously, Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were not the same at all — they're the perfect example of "opposites attract." In an interview with People, Parton admitted, "We're completely opposite, but that's what makes it fun. I never know what he's gonna say or do. He's always surprising me." Speaking with The Guardian in 2014, she said that Dean was not a musician or very musical at all. 

To Parade, she said, "I married a really good man, a guy that's completely different from me. He's not in show business. He's not resentful of any of that." Still, despite their differences, they got along really well. Parton added, "He loves to hear about the things I do. I love to hear about the things he does. So we enjoy each other's company. We get along good. ... We've just been best buddies and best friends and, evidently, it's working!" 

We all know Dolly Parton as, obviously, Dolly Parton and not Dolly Dean. But as it turns out, she uses her husband's name in private. In an interview with The Guardian, Parton said that she did take on her husband's last name quietly, saying that her passport says "Dolly Parton Dean." She also explained that she signs all of her contracts with the name "Dean." She never made the name change publicly because of her record deal, noting, "It made no sense. He never asked me to." That's not such an uncommon move in Hollywood, as many celebrities don't change their stage names after getting hitched.

And to Dolly Parton and Carl Dean, it didn't matter because, she said, she's Dolly Dean whenever she's home. She told The Guardian, "But then I'm also Dolly Parton. I'm Dolly Parton Dean. I'm myself!" She joked, "Anyway, if I had chosen the name Dolly Dean... I'd have been Double D. Again!" 

Throughout Dolly Parton and Carl Dean's marriage, the two embarked on a number of important professional undertakings. One of the biggest was Dollywood, a Dolly Parton-themed amusement park located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dean was known to be very invested in the project, even looking in on it from time to time. "He'd come up to East Tennessee to see some of my family and people that he loved of my people. And so, he'd just think, 'Well, I think I'll go to Dollywood, check things out,'" Parton would later tell Knox News.

During these visits, Dean would make sure not to reveal his identity to anyone — purchasing a ticket at the counter like any other guest. He would then look around and see whether everything was running smoothly. "He would say, 'You need more bathrooms,'" Parton recalled in the same conversation with Knox News. "Or he would say, 'You need to tell them this or that. It's crowded over in that area. You might want to tell them they ought to do this or that.'" While some may see this as a relationship red flag, Parton viewed it as a favor. "He wasn't coming to criticize," she explained. Dean simply wanted to keep Dollywood in tip-top shape.

All marriages come with their share of disagreements, but Dolly Parton and Carl Dean managed to keep their flame going for decades. The secret to their success? Having a sense of humor. In a conversation with Bunny XO on the podcast "Dumb Blonde," Parton shared, "He's quiet and I'm loud, and we're funny." She then went on to add, "Oh, he's hilarious. And I think one of the things that's made it last so long through the years is that we love each other [and] we respect each other, but we have a lot of fun" (via Page Six).

Parton also revealed that she and Dean always did their best to avoid arguments. "We never fought back and forth. And I'm glad now that we never did, because once you start that, that becomes a lifetime thing," she said in the same podcast appearance. Apparently, watching other marriages dissolve helped motivate Parton to treasure hers. Reflecting on this reality, the singer explained, "I've seen [arguing happen] with so many people, and I thought, 'I ain't ever starting that.'" By avoiding ugly verbal spars and embracing a whole lot of laughter, Parton and Dean were able to enjoy their years together.

On March 3, 2025, Dolly Parton's beloved husband, Carl Dean, died. He was 82 years old. Four days following Dean's death, Parton took to Instagram to open up about their marriage. "I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together," she wrote in the caption below a heart-wrenching photo of Parton embracing Dean back when they were young. "Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story."

In the same post, Parton went on to declare that her new single, "If You Hadn't Been There," was dedicated to Dean. The lyrics of this sweet song revealed the impact that Dean had left on Parton's career. "I wouldn't be here if you hadn't been there/ Holding my hand/ Showing you care/ You made me dream more than I dared," the country star asserted in her song. These words go to show the immense amount of appreciation that Parton has continued to hold for her husband after his death.

When Carl Dean got sick, Dolly Parton was overwhelmed. As the weeks went by, the singer found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to care about her own health. "Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn't take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should've been taking care of," the country star told fans in a video she shared on Instagram. Eventually, she realized that it was important to keep an eye on her own health, as well. She went to the doctor, received some recommendations, and began to undergo treatment.

While Parton said that her health issues were "nothing major," they were serious enough to warrant attention. Her sister, Freida Parton, stirred up concern by taking to Facebook to ask the singer's fans to pray for her. When fans reacted by questioning the state of their favorite country star's health, Freida had to make a second Facebook post clarifying that everything was okay. "She's been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer," Freida wrote.

When Carl Dean died, Dolly Parton did her best to protect the privacy of her family. She made no speedy announcement concerning the cause of her husband's death. She also declined to publicly describe his final moments. She did, however, tell Knox News that Dean was in a lot of pain before he died, noting that he "suffered a great deal." This apparently helped the singer accept the loss. As she told the outlet, "I'm at peace that he's at peace, but that don't keep me from missing him and loving him."

Of course, just because Parton was able to find peace in Dean's death does not mean that she has not struggled considerably in the time since his passing. In the same interview with Knox News, Parton said, "It's a hole in my heart, you know, but we'll fill that up with good stuff and he'll still always be with me." As reported by CNN, the singer held a surprise concert at her theme park, Dollywood, about a week and a half after losing Dean. "I've been crying enough the last week or two," she confessed while addressing crowds. Despite managing to remain active as a performer, Parton felt Dean's loss deeply.

Although Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were famous for keeping their personal life out of the tabloids, they weren't exactly among the celebs who kept their romance a secret until death. Parton and Dean publicly acknowledged their love for each other. They just weren't huge on thrusting their relationship into the spotlight. Following Dean's death, however, an unusual insight into the couple's relationship came to light via a show titled, "Dolly: An Original Musical." Created in collaboration with Parton, this project sought to explore different moments in the singer's life.

Interestingly, Carrie St. Louis — who has interpreted one iteration of Parton in the show — told Taste of Country, that the country star revealed never-before-known information about Dean to the cast. Following her husband's death, Parton broke with her long-time tradition of silence and told everyone more about what her husband had been like in hopes that his memory could be eternalized in the musical. "That's something that's really special about the musical, is that she's sharing a little bit more of their relationship," St. Louis told the publication.