How Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s Incredible Love Story Unfolded

Dolly Parton, at 78, remains the unstoppable queen of country music, proving her versatility with her first-ever rock album, Rockstar, in November 2023. Meanwhile, her husband, Carl Dean, 82, enjoys a quiet retirement from the asphalt-paving business, preferring life on their farm away from the spotlight.

Despite their differences—Dolly thrives in the public eye while Carl stays famously private—their independence has been a key ingredient in their 58-year marriage. From their chance meeting to a secret wedding in 1966, their decision not to have children, and even their Taco Bell drive-thru adventures, here’s a look at their enduring love story.

Dolly Parton Met Carl Dean the Day She Arrived in Nashville

Right after graduating high school, Dolly Parton packed up and left her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, for the bright lights of Nashville. The fourth of 12 siblings, she had already dipped her toes into the music industry at 13 when a small Louisiana label released her first single, Puppy Love. While it wasn’t a breakout hit, it was enough to fuel her determination. Dolly had no backup plan—she was going to be a star.

On her very first day in Music City, fate stepped in. While doing laundry at the Wishy Washy laundromat, 18-year-old Dolly caught the attention of 21-year-old Carl Dean, who drove by in his white Chevy pickup. He stopped to warn her about getting sunburned in her outfit and then struck up a conversation inside.

“My first thought was I’m gonna marry that girl,” Carl recalled in a statement for their 50th anniversary. “My second thought was, Lord, she’s good lookin’. And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”

Dolly was instantly charmed, not just by his good looks but by the fact that he actually looked at her face while talking—”a rare thing for me,” she admitted. She loved that he genuinely wanted to know her, not just her image.

The two quickly began dating, and Dolly soon signed with Monument Records, launching her career. When they got engaged, Carl’s mother was thrilled, hoping to plan a big wedding. But Dolly’s record label had other plans.

“Everyone at my label had invested money in me and in building my career, so they asked me if I’d wait a year to get married,” Dolly told CMT. “And I didn’t want to not do what I was supposed to do. Carl’s mother was just heartbroken.”

Little did anyone know that Carl and Dolly would build a love story that would last a lifetime.

Dolly and Carl’s Secret Wedding

Two years after they met, Dolly Parton and Carl Dean decided to marry—but they kept it a secret. On Memorial Day 1966, the couple slipped away to Ringgold, Georgia, about 150 miles from Nashville, to avoid media attention.

With only a few people present—Dolly’s mother, Avie Lee, the preacher, and his wife—they had a simple but meaningful ceremony.

“My mother made me a little white dress and a little bouquet,” Dolly shared with CMT. She insisted on a church wedding, saying, “I can’t get married in a courthouse because I’ll never feel married.” So they found a small Baptist church, asked Pastor Don Duvall to officiate, and captured the moment with pictures right outside.

Carl Dean Has Always Let Dolly Shine

From the very beginning, Carl Dean made it clear that the spotlight wasn’t for him. After attending a Hollywood event with Dolly in 1966, he had a blunt request on the way home. “Dolly, I want you to have everything you want, and I’m happy for you, but don’t you ever ask me to go to another one of them dang things again!” he reportedly told her.

The following year, Dolly’s career took off with her first full-length album, Hello, I’m Dolly, and her regular appearances on The Porter Wagoner Show, which reached 45 million viewers each week. While Dolly was becoming a household name, Carl was happy to cheer her on from a distance.

In 57 years of marriage, Carl has only made a handful of public appearances with Dolly, yet she still calls him her biggest supporter. “He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it,” she told People in 2019. “He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes… But anyway, he’d never come dragging around. I’d rather bring somebody else with me, you know? He’s never jealous of that either.”

Dolly believes that their independence has helped their marriage thrive. “He’s kind of a loner, so he doesn’t really like being with anybody but me when I’m home,” she shared with Entertainment Tonight. “He loves living on the farm, taking care of the property as he has for all these many years, and then we just have a lot to talk about.”

Dolly Parton’s Moments of Self-Doubt

Despite her confidence and independence, even Dolly Parton has faced insecurities. Her hit song “Jolene” was inspired by a redheaded bank teller who took a liking to her husband, Carl.

“She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Dolly told NPR. “It was kinda 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.'”

Dolly saw the woman as everything she wasn’t—”like legs—you know, she was about 6 feet tall. And had all that stuff that some little short, sawed-off honky like me don’t have.”

Known for being a “flirt and a tease,” Dolly has admitted she never met a man who could replace Carl. She once had an “affair of the heart,” but her faith helped her through it, keeping their marriage strong.

Dolly and Carl’s Simple and Sweet Life Together

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean never had children, something she once regretted. But over time, she realized it was for the best. Instead, they’ve poured their love into Dolly’s younger siblings, nieces, nephews, and the countless children helped through her charity work.

“Now that Carl and I are older, we often say, ‘Aren’t you glad we didn’t have kids?’ Now we don’t have kids to worry about,” Dolly told Billboard.

Despite her busy career, Dolly makes time for simple pleasures with Carl. Now retired from the asphalt-paving business, he loves taking her on RV trips, where they enjoy a quiet, uncomplicated life. Sometimes, their date nights are as low-key as a Taco Bell drive-thru run. “I love to read, I love to cook, I love to be with my husband. I put on my little comfy clothes—I call them my baby clothes—and we just relax,” she shared.

Even after decades together, their bond remains strong. What keeps their marriage thriving? “We have a lot of love and respect for each other, and I think the key to all of it—we both have a crazy, warped sense of humor, so we have a lot of fun,” Dolly said.

For their 50th wedding anniversary, Dolly finally convinced Carl to have a big ceremony in Nashville. He only agreed because they planned to sell the photo rights for charity. Dressed in a custom gown by Steve Summers, Dolly made sure the day was special. They even spent their second honeymoon in their camper, parked by a lake in Ringgold, Georgia—where they had first tied the knot.

“If I had it to do all over, I’d do it all over again, and we did,” Dolly said in 2016. “I’m dragging him kicking and screaming into the next 50 years.”