BREAKING NEWS
Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, has died at age 82.
March 3 2025, Published 8:05 p.m. ET
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Dolly Parton has lost the love of her life.
The country star confirmed in a statement that her beloved husband, Carl Dean, died at the age of 82 in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday, March 3.
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Dolly Parton tied the knot with Carl Dean in 1966.
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“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 in a message shared to her Instagram account.
“He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie,” a statement included alongside Parton’s kind words read.
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Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, lived a very private life despite his wife’s mega fame.
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The “Jolene” singer, 79, and her family requested privacy and respect at this time. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed at time of press.
In the comments section of Parton’s Instagram post, famous friends and fans of the “Islands in the Stream” hitmaker flooded her with condolences and warm wishes.
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Dolly Parton and Carl Dean renewed their vows in May 2016.
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“❤️❤️❤️ that’s beautiful you to have such a long time with your husband. I hope he rests easy,” Diplo expressed, as Lainey Wilson penned, “I love you ❤️.”
“Dolly, sweet angel, I’m so incredibly sorry! I’m crying with you. Praying for you! I’m so sorry 😥,” a fan wrote, while another admirer added: “Spending 60 years with the love of your life is so inspiring and such an amazing accomplishment. What a true example of love and commitment. Sending you so much love. 💕 We love you Dolly.”
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Dolly Parton and Carl Dean never welcomed any children together.
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“I was in such a hurry to get here — and after I’d put my clothes in the machine, I started walkin’ down the street, just lookin’ at my new home, and this guy hollered at me, and I waved. Bein’ from the country, I spoke to everybody. And he came over and, well, it was Carl, my husband,” she told The New York Times in 1976.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton once recalled via her personal website while reminiscing about the first time she and Dean crossed paths. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Two years later, Parton and Dean got married on Memorial Day in 1966 during a small wedding ceremony in Ringgold, Ga.
In May 2016, the couple sweetly renewed their vows in a small but special way.
“We had a few family and friends around. We didn’t plan anything big at all because we didn’t want any kind of strain, any kind of tension, any kind of commotion, so we planned it cleverly and carefully. We just had a simple little ceremony at our chapel at our place,” she told Rolling Stone at the time. “We just had just a few people who needed to be there to make sure they got the pictures and the few things that we needed.”