Carl Thomas Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, passed away on Monday at the age of 82.
The news was shared on Parton’s Instagram account, which read:
“Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie.”
The post also included a heartfelt message from Parton: “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 family has requested privacy during this difficult time.
Parton met Dean — who famously shunned the spotlight throughout their marriage — when she was 18, outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville.
The couple married two years later, on May 30, 1966, in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Ga., and kept their relationship largely private throughout the years.
Dean was a businessman, owning an asphalt paving company in Nashville.
In a 2008 interview with NPR, Parton revealed that Dean was the inspiration for her classic song “Jolene.” She shared that the song was inspired by a flirty bank teller who seemed to have taken an interest in Dean.
“She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Parton said. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.
It was kind of like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”
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