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Dolly Parton Says the Key to Her Long Marriage to Carl Dean Is to "Stay Gone!"

Dolly Parton Says the Key to Her Long Marriage to Carl Dean Is to "Stay Gone!"

From Good Housekeeping

  • Dolly Parton secretly married her husband, Carl Dean, in 1966.

  • Carl, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, inspired Dolly’s hit songs “Jolene,” “From Here to the Moon and Back,” and “Forever Love.”

  • In the past, Dolly has shared the reasons behind her long-lasting marriage.


Dolly Parton is an icon through and through. Originally from Pittman Center, Tennessee, the country music legend has had an extraordinary rise to fame with hits like “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” But behind her signature teased wigs and rhinestone bedazzled outfits, there’s one person who knows the Queen of Country better than anyone else — her husband, Carl Dean.

Fans of Dolly can thank him for inspiring beloved country songs like “Jolene,” “From Here to the Moon and Back,” and “Forever Love,” among others. And throughout her incredible career and their 54 years of marriage, the multi-Grammy winner has had Carl’s unconditional support since day one.

Photo credit: Michael Ochs Archives - Getty Images
Photo credit: Michael Ochs Archives - Getty Images

After graduating from Sevier County High School in 1964, Dolly got on a bus and moved away to Nashville to fulfill her dream of becoming a country music star.

“I always wanted to be a singin' star, and for a singin’ star, Nashville was the world,” she told The New York Times in 1976. And on her first day in Music City, she met Carl outside of the Wishy Washy Laundromat.

“I'd come to Nashville with dirty clothes. I was in such a hurry to get here,” she said to the outlet. “And after I'd put my clothes in the machine, I started walkin’ down the street ... 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 later explained: “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face, a rare thing for me. He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”

And Carl was just as smitten with her. "My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl,’” he told Entertainment Tonight in 2016. “My second thought was, 'Lord she's good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began."

Although love was the last thing on Dolly’s mind, she invited Carl to visit her at her aunt and uncle’s house, where she was staying. After coming every day for a week, he took her to meet his parents on their first official date.

“Cause he said he knew right the minute he saw me that that's the one he wanted,” she said. And where did Carl take Dolly for dinner? “He pulled up to the drive-in window and got our food at McDonald’s,” she told People in 2018.

Photo credit: DOLLY PARTON/DOLLYPARTON.COM
Photo credit: DOLLY PARTON/DOLLYPARTON.COM

Shortly after starting their relationship, Carl enlisted in the army, but they kept in touch during his two years of service. Upon returning, Carl and Dolly got secretly married on May 30, 1966 — crossing state lines to exchange vows in a Baptist church in Ringgold, Georgia.

Dolly’s record label feared that a marriage would negatively impact her career. “Everyone at my label — Monument Records and Fred Foster — had invested money in me and in building my career, so they asked me if I’d wait a year to get married,” she told CMT in 2016. “And I didn’t want to not do what I was supposed to do.”

The private ceremony, held on Memorial Day, was attended only by Dolly’s mother, Avie Lee, the preacher, and his wife. Despite concerns, the talented country singer continued dedicating her all to her career.

“I hadn't intended to marry,” she told NYT. “I hadn't intended to find anybody, but you know how love goes. And he understood that I had to do what I had come to Nashville to do … He never tried to make me give it up."

While Dolly quickly made a name for herself in the country music scene, Carl went on to run an asphalt paving company, and he liked it that way. Even though fans may recognize him from Dolly’s album cover My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy, Carl made it clear he wanted to stay away from her celebrity lifestyle.

After attending an awards ceremony in 1966, he reportedly told her: "I love you, and I will support you in your career any way I can, but I am not going to any more of these wingdings." To this day, Carl continues to skip red carpets — and Dolly totally understands why.

“He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it,” she told People. “He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home.” Make no mistake though, Carl probably isn’t listening to her music in his spare time.

"He likes hard rock, he likes Led Zeppelin and bluegrass music, so my music is somewhere in between," she told Good Morning Britain in 2019. "He doesn't dislike it, but he doesn't go out of his way to play my records, let's put it that way."

Photo credit: DOLLY PARTON/DOLLYPARTON.COM
Photo credit: DOLLY PARTON/DOLLYPARTON.COM

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Dolly and Carl renewed their vows on May 30, 2016. “I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth," he said on their golden wedding anniversary.

Dolly credits their different personalities and independence for their successful marriage. "They say that opposites attract, and it's true," she told People in 2015. "We're completely opposite, but that's what makes it fun. I never know what he's gonna say or do. He's always surprising me."

And after touring, Dolly’s always happy to come back home to Carl. But she'll be the first to say that independence and space is key to her long-lasting marriage.

"I always joke and laugh when people ask me what's the key to my long marriage and lasting love," Dolly told People in 2018. "I always say, 'Stay gone!' and there's a lot of truth to that."

Still, when Dolly and Carl reunite, sparks fly like it's the first time. She told Parade in 2015: "He loves to hear about the things I do. I love to hear about the things he does. So we enjoy each other’s company. We get along good."

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