Over the years, Dolly Parton became more than a country singer as she fashioned a career that made her a business expert. Using her voice as a launching pad, the singer went on to build an entire franchise surrounding her likeness. And as she continues to release new music and collaborate with rising stars, Dolly recently shared the heartbreaking news that her husband, Carl Dean, passed away at 82 years old. Saddened over his passing, the country singer decided to honor his love and support for her over the years by releasing a new song in his honor.
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On March 6th, Dolly shared a new song, “If You Hadn’t Been There”, on Instagram. The song came with a picture of the singer with her husband when they were younger. Wrapping her arms around Dean, Dolly appeared all smiles. Throughout the song, the lyrics reflected on the support Dean offered Dolly during her career. Standing behind her from the beginning, Dean opted for a life outside of the spotlight. But that never stopped him from showing his support and love for one of the biggest names in country music.
Besides releasing the new song, Dolly also wrote a heartfelt message. “I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him.”
Dolly Parton Thankful For Support
With fans showering Dolly with support through the difficult time, the singer never forgot her fans when she thanked each one of them for their love. In another Instagram post, she wrote, “This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Car. I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me.”
Dolly ended the message, knowing that Dean was in good hands. “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”
Dolly and Dean (1964 – 2025)
Parton first met Dean the day after she moved from her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee to Nashville in 1964. “I met him the first day I got to Nashville, in 1964,” recalled Parton in an interview with Andy Warhol and Mary Moynihan for Interview magazine in 1984. “I graduated on a Friday night, went to Nashville on a Saturday morning with dirty clothes and I went to a Laundromat looking for anything but love. I had just left two boyfriends back home and I wasn’t looking to get involved because I had gone to Nashville to really get started in the business.”
Parton continued, “I met him at the Why Washy and he’s been wishy-washy ever since. We dated for two years before we got married. I often get myself in love trouble because I’m so passionate—I love so much and so deep. But Carl’s a special guy, I didn’t have any problems with him.”
The two married on May 30, 1966, during a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia. Throughout their marriage, Dean kept a mostly low profile, keeping their relationship as private as possible, and continued working for his asphalt paving business in Nashville. “A lot of people say there’s no Carl Dean,” Parton said in 1984, “that he’s just somebody I made up to keep other people off me.”
Though he wanted to remain mostly out of the public eye, Dean always supported Parton and her career. He even inspired some songs that Parton wrote early on, including her 1974 hit “Jolene,” inspired by an auburn-haired bank teller, who developed a crush on him in the late ’60s. Throughout the decades, Parton also penned more songs about Dean, including “Forever Love,” “Say Forever You’ll Be Mine,” “From Here to the Moon and Back,” and “Marry Me.”
Dean died on March 3, 2025, at age 82.
“He is in God’s arms now, and I am okay with that,” wrote Parton following Dean’s death. “I will always love you.”