Dolly Parton's Marriage Advice: Singer Encouraged Intimate Life, Flirting — And Admitted to 'Fantasizing' About 'Other Men'

Dolly Parton was married for nearly 60 years before her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, passed away at 82.

One day after the country icon's own death, RadarOnline.com revisits Parton's best pieces of advice for a long and happy marriage.

In a resurfaced 1990 interview, Parton called for spouses to be independent, know when to give each other space, and remember to flirt with their partner to keep that spark alive.

She also emphasized the importance of not bringing work home and being each other's best friend.

Unafraid to dive right into the more romantic side of things, the Jolene singer pointed out the importance of making an effort to "look your best."

"Mind you, Carl loves me whether I'm skinny or fat," she teased. "He thinks I'm the s-xiest, prettiest woman in the world."

Parton further noted that flattery and intimacy were also key parts of maintaining a marriage.

"Although I've always loved s-x, I've learned to enjoy it more because of Carl," she added.

Speaking of intimacy, Parton also encouraged fantasizing – even about other people.

"For me to say I don't l-st after other men would be a lie," she quipped. "I'm married – but I'm not blind!"

As for jealousy, she called it a "foolish, destructive emotion" and said she tried to "rise above it."

Parton and Dean first met in 1964. They got married two years later, in 1966.

More than 50 years after they tied the knot, Dean tragically died at 82.

"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," the I Will Always Love You singer wrote to her Instagram after her husband's death. "Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."

Although Dean was in his eighties, it was still a loss that insiders claimed the country legend never quite recovered from.

"Carl’s death knocked the wind right out of her. She's trying to rally herself, but most days she looks lost," one insider claimed. "Carl was her rock. She depended on him more than people realized."

"Knowing Carl for decades and being the most important person in her life, now that he is gone, as much as she can take comfort in other family members and fans having her back, it is never the same," the insider added.

But it was Parton's belief in God and the afterlife that helped get her through the grief.

"Losing Carl left an enormous hole in Dolly's life, and there were days when the grief was incredibly difficult. Her faith was the one constant she could always turn to," another source shared. "She genuinely believed Carl was with God and that they would ultimately be together again, and that belief gave her the strength to keep moving forward."