Dolly’s 'Missing Husband' Mystery Solved: Country Icon Insists He 'Loves' Music — But Hates Being Part of the Business So Much He'll Never be Seen With Her
Dolly Parton has managed to keep her romance with Carl Dean alive after nearly six decades together.
Dec. 12 2024, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton's husband has been dodging the fame game for 58 years.
Unlike his 11-time Grammy-winning wife, RadarOnline.com can reveal Parton's rarely-seen partner, Carl Dean, refuses to attend public events because he's "not the least bit interested" in being involved in her music career.
The country icon said Carl Dean, her husband of 58 years, refuses to be a part of her music career.
The longtime couple – who tied the knot in 1966 – have had fans wondering for years why Dean is never by the singer's side for her many accomplishments and appearances.
On Monday, the 9 to 5 hitmaker gave a rare glimpse into their marriage, sharing that while her husband "loves the music", he refuses to "be a part of it".
While reflecting on a key moment early in their marriage during a podcast appearance, Parton said she once persuaded Dean to attend an awards show in 1967 when she won BMI Song of the Year.
Parton revealed she 'changed her ways' about dating when moving to Nashville in the '60s and meeting Dean.
At the time, Dean told her: "I wish you the best, but don’t ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain't going."
The country music legend then confirmed her "homebody" husband stuck to his word.
Over the course of their decades together, the couple – who celebrated a vow renewal in 2016 at their Nashville home – have used their shared sense of humor as a way to defuse conflict and stay united.
She said: "He’s quiet and I’m loud, and we're funny…we have a lot of fun."
Parton added: "Anytime [there is] too much tension going on, either one of us can like, find a joke about it to really break the tension, where we don’t let it go so far. We never fought back and forth."
Despite Dean's reluctance to be in the public eye, his wife has always worked to keep their romance strong.
The singer said she still dresses up for her man at home to keep things 'spicy' after nearly six decades of marriage.
Two years ago, Parton said she still dressed up for her man at home as a way to keep their romance "spicy".
She said: "Every day, I put on some makeup and fix my hair because I think, 'Well, the whole world, I'm out here' and everybody else sees me all dressed up, and I'm not going to just kind of go home and just flop on him.
"Nobody wants to make out with a slouch! It's important to me that I look as good as I can. I think it kind of helps keep things spicy."
While the couple has been together for nearly 60 years, the country icon admitted she wasn't interested in dating when first moving to Nashville in the '60s.
She revealed: "I left two boyfriends back home that had wanted to marry me," confirming the relationships did not overlap.
Parton said things changed when she met Dean in Nashville, joking: "The very day I got to Nashville, I met Carl Dean, and 60 years later, I'm still with Carl Dean."
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Sources said Dean has always refused to attend award shows and other star-studded events with his bubbly bride.
The singer gave more insight into their longtime romance, sharing how she and Dean prefer to stay home and have more casual dates to celebrate anniversaries these days – rather than going to fancy, overcrowded restaurants.
She said: "We usually stay home and make something special," adding how McDonalds or Mexican restaurants are among their favorite cuisines.
