NASHVILLE, U.S. – Carl Dean, the famously private husband of country music legend Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 82.
Parton confirmed his passing in a heartfelt statement on social media, reflecting on their nearly six decades of marriage.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton wrote in a post on X.
Dean largely avoided the public eye despite being married to one of the most recognizable figures in country music.
Their love story began in 1964 when an 18-year-old Parton met 21-year-old Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville—the same day she moved to the city to chase her music dreams.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton once recalled. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
The couple wed two years later in a quiet ceremony attended only by Parton’s mother, a preacher, and the preacher’s wife.
Dean continued to shun the limelight throughout their 58-year marriage, preferring a life of privacy while Parton ascended to global stardom.
A Nashville native, Dean made his living as an asphalt paver while Parton built a career that earned her the title of the “queen of country music.”
Despite the contrast in their public profiles, they shared a deep bond, often retreating into a quiet, simple life together.
“We like to get out in our little RV and just be simple,” Parton told People magazine in 2015. “I love to read, I love to cook, I love to be with my husband.”
The couple never had children, but their partnership remained strong for nearly six decades.
Dean was born in 1942 to Edgar “Ed” Henry Dean and Virginia “Ginny” Bates, whom Parton affectionately called Mama Dean.
He is survived by his two siblings, Sandra and Donnie.
No further details about his passing have been shared.
