Dolly Parton issues statement after death of husband Carl Dean

Carl Dean, businessman and devoted husband to country music icon Dolly Parton, has passed away.

According to reports, the 82-year-old Dean passed away yesterday (March 3) in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Parton, now 79, shared a heartfelt statement, expressing that “words cannot truly capture the love” they shared throughout their decades together.

Married for nearly 60 years, the couple originally exchanged vows in May 1966 and renewed them nine years ago in a private ceremony to mark their golden anniversary.

Following the public announcement of Dean’s passing, Parton released an emotional statement:
“Carl and I shared so many wonderful years together. Words cannot do justice to the love we had for over six decades. I appreciate all your prayers and condolences.”

The Dean family has requested privacy during this difficult time. Reports indicate that Dean will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended only by close family members.

During an interview on the Dumb Blonde podcast last year, Parton reflected on her husband’s longstanding wish to stay out of the public eye. She recalled that from the very beginning, he fully supported her music career but made it clear that he had no desire for fame himself.

“He told me, ‘Look, I want you to do everything you dream of, and I wish you all the success in the world. But don’t ever ask me to go to one of these damn events, because I ain’t going,’ and he never did,” Parton recounted.

Though the couple never had children, their bond remained unshakable. Despite the pressures of fame and the challenges that came with being one of the most recognizable figures in country music, their love endured for more than six decades.

Parton added: “He loved music, but he had absolutely no interest in being part of the industry. And he told me that from the very start.”

Their love story began in 1964, outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton, then just 18, was standing outside when Dean, 21, drove by in his pickup truck. She later revealed to The New York Times in 1976 that sparks flew instantly when he ‘hollered’ at her from his truck—a chance encounter that blossomed into a lifelong romance.

Throughout Parton’s rise to superstardom, her husband supported her behind the scenes while maintaining a road-paving business