Carl Dean, the devoted husband of country music legend Dolly Parton, has passed away at the age of 82. The private businessman and Parton’s lifelong love died in Nashville, Tennessee, as confirmed in a heartfelt statement shared by the singer.
“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,” Parton wrote.
The couple’s love story began in 1964 outside a Nashville laundromat when Parton was just 18 years old. She fondly recalled how Dean stood out because “he looked at my face” rather than focusing on her appearance—something she wasn’t used to. Two years later, they married in a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia, beginning a nearly six-decade-long marriage that remained strong despite Dean’s preference for a life out of the spotlight.
Though Dean kept his distance from fame, he played a significant role in Parton’s music. He famously inspired her classic song Jolene, which was based on a bank teller who had a crush on him. Parton turned the lighthearted situation into one of her most iconic hits.
Dean’s low profile led to speculation over the years that he wasn’t real—a rumor Parton always found amusing. “A lot of people say there’s no Carl Dean, that he’s just somebody I made up to keep other people off me,” she joked in 1984.
While the couple never had children, their bond remained unbreakable. Dean is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie, as noted in Parton’s statement.
Carl Dean may have avoided the limelight, but his love story with Dolly Parton will always remain a cherished part of country music history.