Dolly Parton mourns the death of her husband Carl Dean
Fans say the singer's "beautiful" 60-year love story will continue to inspire many.
Dolly Parton has announced the death of her husband Carl Dean.
The country star revealed in a statement shared on social media that Dean died on Monday, March 3, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 82.
"He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie."
The statement also included a message from the 'Jolene' hitmaker.
"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," the 79-year-old said.
Scores of people sent Parton their condolences.
"That’s beautiful you to have such a long time with your husband. I hope he rests easy..." DJ and music producer Diplo said.
Dolly Pawton, an Instagram page dedicated to three dogs named Dolly, Jolene and Tennessee, also left a heartfelt message.
"Dear Dolly, Words fall short when expressing sorrow for such a profound loss. Our hearts break for you. Please know that you're in our thoughts as you grieve Carl's passing. Your beautiful love story will continue to inspire many. Wishing you peace and healing. Sending all our love and condolences. We love you."
Dolly Parton Husband
Despite being a mega-famous star, Parton was rarely pictured with her husband in public as he preferred a life away from the spotlight.
"It's just not who he is. He's like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he'd never get a minute’s peace and he's right about that," she told Entertainment Tonight (ET) in an interview.
He might not be by her side at fancy schmancy music events, but Parton never hesitated to rave about Dean any chance she got.
"He's always loved who I was, and I loved who he was, and we never tried to change each other," the 'I Will Always Love You' singer told O magazine in 2016.
In a 2020 interview with People magazine, Parton also revealed how they kept the spark going.
"We still have our little times, like in the springtime when the first yellow daffodils come out. Even if there's still some snow around it, my husband always brings me a bouquet. And he'll usually write me a little poem. Which to me, that's priceless. That's like a date in itself."
The couple met when Dolly was 18 and Dean was 21.
"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," Dean said on their 50th wedding anniversary.
Some sad news…
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 4, 2025
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of 58 years, has died.
He was 82.
“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." pic.twitter.com/8D4kpXswbK
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Main image credit: YouTube/ Dolly Parton, Instagram/@dollyparton