Dolly Parton is finding solace and strength in the face of recent grief after losing her husband Carl Dean on March 3. The 79-year-old singer spoke candidly about their 60-year marriage and the impact of his passing.
Parton shared that while she’s doing better than expected, she still misses her late husband dearly. “I’ve been with him 60 years,” she said in an interview with Knox News. “He suffered a great deal” before passing away, leaving Parton at peace knowing he’s no longer in pain.
Following his death, Parton is focusing on healing and finding ways to fill the void left by her husband. She appeared at Dollywood, her famous theme park in Tennessee, for the first time since Dean’s passing, where she laughed and smiled through festivities. Parton also shared an anecdote about Dean’s love of fun, saying he would stand in line to buy a ticket to visit the park.
Their love story is one for the ages, with Parton and Dean meeting outside a laundromat in 1964. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about,” Parton wrote on her website. Dean’s quiet strength behind the scenes is evident in his decision not to seek public attention, allowing Parton to shine.
The couple married two years after meeting and built a life together that spanned decades, with Parton becoming a global superstar while Dean remained private. In an interview last year, Parton joked about their secret to lasting love: “He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes.”
Source: https://www.hola.com/us/celebrities/20250321821486/dolly-parton-shares-rare-details-late-husband-carl-dean