Dolly Parton and her late husband, Carl Dean, spent nearly six decades together, but they never had children—a decision that the country music legend once explained gave her the freedom to focus on her career and philanthropy.
The 79-year-old “9 to 5” singer previously shared her thoughts in a candid conversation with Oprah Winfrey, revealing that their child-free marriage played a key role in her success.
“Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom,” Parton said during a 2020 episode of The Oprah Conversation on Apple TV+. “A big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work.”
Long before she became a household name, Parton met Dean in 1964 outside a laundromat in Nashville. She was just 18 years old and had moved to the city to pursue her dreams in music. Two years later, they tied the knot in a private ceremony, but Dean chose to stay away from the public eye while Parton’s career skyrocketed.
Despite their deep love, Parton always felt that motherhood wasn’t part of her destiny.
“I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine,” she explained. “If I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done.”
One of her most cherished accomplishments is her Imagination Library, which has been providing free books to children for 30 years.
Although they lived different lives publicly, Parton and Dean found ways to keep their romance strong. The Jolene singer once shared that they enjoyed simple moments together, including road trips and quiet dinners.
“We drive through little drive-through restaurants,” she told Parade in 2015. “We sightsee all of Tennessee and Kentucky, the areas that we can get back home from at night. Sometimes we’ll stay over at a Days Inn where we can just pull up and sneak me in. We don’t care, as long as the bed’s clean and there’s a bathroom. That’s how we live.”
On March 3, Parton announced the heartbreaking news that Dean had passed away at the age of 82.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” she wrote in a tribute on social media. “Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Dean will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by close family members. Parton has requested privacy during this difficult time.
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