Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, died Monday (March 3) in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 82 years old.
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Condolences for the “Jolene” hitmaker began pouring in almost as soon as the news broke online. Now Parton, 79, is publicly expressing her gratitude for that profound support.
Fans Are Paying Their Respects to Dolly Parton’s Late Husband
In a statement posted to social media Thursday (March 6), Dolly Parton thanked fans “for all the messages, cards, and flowers” that she has received as she mourns the loss of “my beloved husband Carl.”
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans,” the iconic country singer began.
Clearly, Parton cannot reach out individually to each supporter. So she hopped on social media to let the world know that she is feeling the love.
“[Carl] is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that,” she wrote. The “Queen of Country” ended her message with a heartbreaking reference to one of her seminal works: “I will always love you.”
Below, messages of sympathy and compassion continued flowing in the comments section. “so sorry for your loss,” one Instagram user wrote. “The price of love is grief, and I’m sending you so many prayers mama!”
[RELATED: 8 Photos of Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s Love Spanning Nearly 60 Years]
Carl Dean Shunned the Spotlight
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean married in 1966. The “Coat of Many Colors” songstress was just 18 when she met the man who would become her husband at the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville.
At the time, Parton was brand-new to Music City, having recently left her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, to pursue her musical dreams.
“We did start talking and he did go back in the laundromat with me,” Parton said during a 1977 appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. “Anyway, we met at the Wishy Washy and in all honesty it’s been wishy washy ever since.”
Find you a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does!https://t.co/xVpXzqxO9i pic.twitter.com/avIDu00YTf
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) November 2, 2021
Dean famously rebuked the limelight, shunning interviews and balking at public appearances. “(He) would just run like a scalded dog,” the country singer said. “If somebody said, ‘Are you Carl Dean? Can you answer a few questions?’ ‘No, I don’t answer questions.”
Despite Parton’s otherworldly levels of success and fame, she and Dean managed to achieve domestic bliss behind the scenes. The 9 to 5 star told USA Today last year that they always made time for weekend pancakes and waffles.
“There’s always that safety, that security, that strength,” she told Knox News in 2024. “He’s a good man, and we’ve had a good life and he’s been a good husband.”
Featured image by GC Images/GC Images
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