Dolly Parton has already established herself as a multi-talented country artist. In fact, she wears several hats in the entertainment industry as a producer, author, businesswoman, actress, philanthropist, and as an award-winning musician. Even more intriguing is the long-lasting marriage she shares with her better half, Carl Dean.
Theirs is an extraordinary marriage, in that they’ve managed to merge the best of both worlds. Parton is a public figure with most aspects of her life known, but Dean chooses to stay away from the spotlight. Recently, Parton has been opening up more about what makes their marriage last. Take a deep dive into the life of America's iconic sweetheart!
Caught Between Her Label & Her Wedding
A wedding means much more than two people coming together. It also symbolizes the joining of two families, and the Partons and Deans were excited to welcome each side of their own. Sadly, Parton's career somewhat deflated their joy as she had to adhere to rules set out by Monument Records on how her big day should play out.
Parton was just about to release Hello, I'm Dolly, her debut album, and her label didn't want the wedding to distract her efforts. Parton was caught in the middle. She wanted to maintain the image they had helped her cultivate. However, she also wanted to have her dream wedding.
A Look Behind The Curtains
Carl Dean, the man who swept Parton off her feet, isn't your typical Hollywood spouse. You would expect him to have garnered some semblance of fame by being married to Parton. Yet, the man is rarely seen by her side. Not to say that he hasn't been there providing his support behind the scenes.
More than five decades into their union, and we are just learning some details about their union. Their marriage hasn't been a bed of roses from what we gather through Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton. Her 2017 book gives us a look behind the curtain, revealing how they made it last.
Romance Brewed At The Laundromat
After high school, Parton set out to Nashville, and the stars aligned in her favor. While she was getting a footing in the music industry, her love life was also looking up. A handsome stranger she bumped into at the laundromat would end up being her husband.
He didn't shy off from sharing his concern that the revealing clothes she had on that day would leave her with a bad case of sunburn. Parton took notice that his gaze was on her face when they were talking, and it wasn't hard for them to hit it off.
Looking Beyond The Surface
For a woman who has curves and embraced them by showing them off, Parton was used to receiving advances. In fact, her public image has always been heavily pegged on her ample bosom. Parton also admitted to having cosmetic procedures to maintain her looks.
She found it refreshing that Dean had taken notice of her as an individual beyond her looks. She was both surprised and intrigued by that first encounter as they chatted away. She explained that it was rare for her to make such a connection, and she loved the fact that he was genuinely interested in knowing her.
Life On The Fast Track
Parton was 19 at the time, while Dean was 21, and they had the whole world ahead of them. They were inseparable after their chance meeting at the laundromat. Parton's career was on a fast track by then, and she was penning down some of the greatest hits under Combine Publishing.
She signed with Monument Records when she was at that age, like a bubblegum pop artist. Her uncredited harmony on Billy Philips Put It Off Until Tomorrow convinced her label to let her go country. In 1967, she was working on her debut album, and to her executives, there wasn't anything more important than getting her album out as scheduled.
Love At First Sight
The other side of the story gives us a different perspective on their first encounter. According to Dean, it played out much like the makings of a great country song. He was driving by the Wishy-Washy Laundromat in his pickup when his gaze fell on Parton.
He shared during an interview with O, The Oprah Magazine that his first thought was that he was going to marry her. He admitted that he thought that she looked incredibly great, and he just had to talk to her. He added that it was the day that his life truly began.
Life Didn't Get In The Way
On their first date, they went to a McDonald's drive-through for some food. Parton explained that there were few places they could frequent without being bothered. She also liked that Dean enjoyed going places where he felt comfortable
He soon enlisted in 1964 after their meet up. They kept in touch and didn't let life get in the way of their love. Two years later, Dean had completed his military service, and he popped the big question. That's when their relationship faced its first hurdle brought about by Parton's rising career.
An Act Of Defiance
Parton and Dean were ready to walk down the aisle, but her label wanted her to give it a year. She explained that she understood their point of view because they had invested a lot of money in her career.
At the same time, it was heartbreaking to Dean’s mother to hear that they would have to wait a year before they could tie the knot. They decided to go against the label's request to follow their heart's desire. They had to figure out how to keep everything under wraps because that's how they wanted their relationship to remain.
Their Biggest Fan
During an interview with Country Music Television (CMT), Parton vividly recalled the moments when she was getting ready to walk down the aisle. When they shared the news about their engagement with Dean's folks, his mother was beyond elated. She wanted to be involved in the planning process and see them have a huge ceremony.
Dean's sister, their only daughter, had eloped. Therefore, they never had the chance to witness one of their children get married. Unfortunately, that wasn't how things would unfold, and it would leave Dean's mother heartbroken all over again.
Eloping In Georgia
Parton and Dean were set on exchanging vows, and they figured that they could do it quietly. They crossed state lines and headed down to Ringold, Georgia so that they could shake off the media. Fortunately, they had a loved one with them, Parton's mother.
Memorial Day 1966 remains a special day for them because that's when they decided to solidify their union. Even though they had decided to elope, she knew one thing for sure. She didn't want to get hitched at the courthouse. Parton still wanted a traditional experience out of it.
A Mother's Gift
It wasn't until 2016 when Parton talked to CMT that we found out more details about her nuptials. They managed to find a small Baptist church where they could have their ceremony. They talked to the pastor, Don Duvall, who agreed to marry them.
Parton's mother made her a bouquet as well as the white dress she wore for the occasion. After the ceremony, they posed for photos outside the church. The ceremony was less than what they had envisioned for their big day, but they still have fond memories about the day.
Staying Away From The Spotlight
Parton's profile in the country scene only continued to rise. She had just released the singles Dumb Blonde and Something Fishy. Parton recounted that they attended an industry event together when Put It Off Until Tomorrow earned her a songwriting award.
Dean suited up in a tux for the event and even walked the red carpet with Parton. After the dinner, he candidly told her that he was happy for her, but it would be the last of such events for him. True to his word, we are yet to see him grace another red carpet event with Parton.
Supportive Through And Through
While Parton met Dean when her career was just taking off, there was a time when her future seemed bleak. She didn’t grow up with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. She grew up in Tennessee, and she shared a one-room cabin with her family.
She recorded her very first song at 13, and she always held on to the dream of breaking into the entertainment industry. Dean supported her throughout, and they even delayed their honeymoon so that she wouldn’t skip out on her commitments. Parton appreciates the fact that he never tried to make her quit the industry.
A Rocky Start
Revisiting Parton’s childhood, she had 11 siblings and her parents were small-time farmers. She recounted that after her birth her parents couldn’t pay the physician and instead offered him a bag of cornmeal.
Her father, Lee Parton, had to also work construction jobs so that he could supplement the income he earned from their small tobacco farm. She’s also said that her father might have been illiterate, but she considers him the smartest person she ever knew. Her mother, Avie Lee Caroline, was a homemaker often plagued by health issues. Yet, she still managed to tend to their family of 14.
Finding Her Voice
On top of being cramped up in a single-room cabin, Parton explained that the difficulties they faced growing up didn’t end there. They didn’t have running water or power supply. They turned to religion and music as an escape, and that’s how Parton’s passion started.
She discovered her voice while singing in church, much like the majority of other country stars, but she had to fight harder to chase after her dream of making it big. She also drew inspiration from her mother who would keep her children entertained with mountain folklore and songs.
Her Father’s Daughter
Parton has always credited her mother’s family for nurturing her musical abilities, and her father for instilling in her a high level of business acumen. Her family moved to the Locust Ridge region, where she says she had most of her cherished memories.
In fact, several of the songs she’s written talk about her family life growing up. They include My Tennessee Mountain Home and Coat of Many Colors. When she lost her father in 2000, she celebrated him in the best way she knew. She penned a heartfelt tribute for the man who nearly broke his back just so he could provide for his family.
The “Dinner Bucket”
Parton has shared extensive memories about her father, including how they would always fight to wash his feet whenever he got back home. They appreciated how hard he worked, and they knew that what he needed at the end of the day was to have his feet rubbed with some corn silk lotion.
Her other fond memory about her dad was his “dinner bucket.” He would carry with him a green tin lunchbox to work every single day. Despite the hard labor, he endured to make ends meet, he still sacrificed part of his lunch to take back home for the kids.
Music In Her Soul
Parton’s folks recognized the musical talent their daughter had quite early, and they helped nurture it by encouraging her to play a homemade guitar at the age of seven. The first song she wrote was inspired by her everyday life with her corncob doll serving as the subject.
The Smoky Mountains region where they lived was predominantly Pentecostal. They attended the Church of God and Jake Robert Owens, her grandfather, was their pastor. Parton started performing when she was six years old, and all of her earliest performances were at their church.
Sowing Seeds Of Hope
Parton holds on to moments from her childhood that played an integral role in leading her to her present career. They didn’t have a TV set at home, which was a luxury just a few wealthy households in the affluent areas enjoyed back in the ‘50s.
However, their father brought home a battery which allowed them to huddle around the radio listening to country music. She received her very first real guitar at the age of eight, a gift from her uncle. She began performing on local radio and a couple of TV programs when she was about ten.
Her Family Rallied Behind Her
Parton’s Uncle Bill Owens, from her mother’s side, was the one who encouraged her to consider a career in music. She recalled taking a 30-hour bus ride with Rena Owens, her grandmother, to the Louisiana-based Goldband Records.
That was when she recorded Puppy Love, her first single for a radio station. She holds onto the memory, as well as the harsh conditions they endured. They had to sleep in her uncle’s car during the trip. Regardless, it’s one of the moments that got the ball rolling and led her steps closer to her dream.
On The Radio
Hearing a song she had written and recorded play on the radio was a thrilling experience for Parton. She said that the first time she heard the song play on the radio, she nearly slipped while mopping making a beeline for the radio to turn the volume up.
The upbeat and relatable song recounted the ups and downs of young love, and on Side B was the single Girl Left Alone. Parton and her uncle Bill Owens and her aunt Dorothy Jo Owens wrote Girl Left Alone, and in 1959, Goldband Records released the album featuring both songs.
Winds Of Change
Parton also recounted that their poverty-stricken childhood meant that they had to bathe in the river. When winter came around and it was too cold, things got tougher. However, the winds would always come with change, and such tough days didn’t last.
Parton had the opportunity of featuring in The Cas Walker Show and she also met Johnny Cash on her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Cash encouraged her to pursue her own passion and instincts when it came to her career. She eventually moved to Nashville and found success as a songwriter.
Building A Public Image
Parton’s appearance is a big part of her public image and the over-the-top looks she goes for could have a thing with the deprivation she faced in her youth. However, she inherited some of her style from her mother.
Parton explained that her mother’s guilty pleasure was flipping through catalogs and she would always be there by her side. She said that the “wishbooks” made her long for fancy clothes and to basically look pretty. That’s why when she could, she dressed up and up to date she still places emphasis on her appearance.
Dressing Up
In fact, she started back in her school days painting her lips red to shake up her look. Only that she used a chemical that was near impossible to rub off when she was younger. She was also quite the social butterfly in school and her stunning looks had a lot to do with it.
She was, and still is, a huge fan of hairspray, and that’s what she would buy with her earnings during her youth. She styled her locks up in a bouffant, and in her own words, she paired the look with tight-fitting outfits that she could barely wriggle out of.
Life’s Luxuries
When the money started trickling in as Parton’s career continued its meteoric rise, she started investing in life’s luxuries. However, one purchase she made that she still holds dear to her heart was buying her childhood home.
She knew that she wanted to preserve its rustic charm and preserve it in its original form as much as possible. However, it still needed an update and Parton didn’t hesitate pouring millions into the project. One particular element that spruced the place up was making the bathroom appear as if it was an outdoor toilet.
Her Own Theme Park
Parton has charted 110 singers over the last four decades, and 41 of her albums have featured in the top 10 spots in the country charts. It’s contributed to her $600 million net worth, most of which she has poured into multiple business ventures.
She’s amongst the few musicians in America who can boast of owning a theme park. We are referring to Dollywood, which receives an estimated 3 million visitors each year. The theme park also features a roller coaster, although Parton isn’t too fond of them. She told USA Today that a ride on a roller coaster would be disastrous because she has too much to lose—like her hair for instance.
Dolly’s Ink
Like the best of the best, Parton has sparked rumors over the years. There was that time people claimed that every inch of her body is covered by tattoos. Well, it isn’t her entire body, just segments where she got some ink to cover scars and other blemishes.
She told ABC News that whenever she gets some work done and she’s left with scars as well as the purplish look, she resorts to body art as a way of hiding them. She mostly goes for flowers and butterflies, but she doesn’t exactly display her tattoos.
Half A Century Later
Parton and Dean are set to celebrate their 54th anniversary on May 20, 2020. One of the resounding questions Parton gets is how they have managed to keep the spark alive more than half a century later.
She told People magazine back in 2018 that whenever anyone asks her what her secret to a lasting marriage is, she jokes “stay gone.” The truth is she’s always on the road. She explained that every moment she spends with Dean, they truly enjoy each other’s company, though.
Life As Newlyweds
During the early years of their marriage, Parton was always on the road working on establishing herself in the country scene. Dean chose to stay back in Tennessee and set up a rather unglamorous business. He ran an asphalt road paving small business.
They had the conversation, and Parton had made it clear that she wasn’t the type of woman who would be content settling into life as a homemaker. Dean understood, and they reached a compromise that saw her pursue her career in music. He might not have been there with her physically, but he showed his support in other ways.
Finally Sharing The Spotlight
Dean has been reclusive for the better part of Parton’s career, but over the last couple of year’s he’s been emerging from the shadows. Parton and Stella, her sister, have always talked about how supportive Dean has been throughout her career.
Dean also rarely appeared in media photographs alongside Parton, but they share one hilarious memory from the past. Parton had a performance at a rodeo, and she was belting out Higher and Higher. Dean somehow got on stage and started singing along with Parton’s backup singers. As a joke, Parton alerted the security who almost booted him off stage before it dawned on them who he was.
Relationship Status
One of the other questions a lot of people have asked over the years is whether or not Dean and Parton have an open marriage. It’s hard to tell because, given the years of rumors about multiple indiscretions, they have weathered the storm.
Parton has given somewhat conflicting details about it all during various interviews. At one point, she said that she leaves it to everyone in general to draw their own conclusions. She added that relationships are all about dealing with people and that Dean seems to always know that she’ll be back.
Jolene
Dean served as an inspiration for several of Parton’s songs. One of her most beloved singles Jolene talks about confronting a red-head who is cheating with her husband. Fans believed that the song held deeper meaning hitting close to home.
Parton later laid the rumors to bed explaining to fans at a concert that she was appealing to Jolene who worked at the bank Dean frequented to curb his spending. She later said that Jolene was a young girl she met at one of her shows, and her name stuck with her. She promised the little girl that she would write a song about her, and she stayed true to her word.
Rumors About Infidelities
The rumors about Parton stepping out on her marriage have always been rife. She was linked with several costars when filming various productions. Burt Reynolds was one of the men she was reported to have had dalliances with despite accounts that he was difficult to work with.
Sylvester Stallone, Kenny Rogers, and Billy Ray Cyrus, father to Miley Cyrus, are some of the other men she was linked with in the past. Parton is actually Miley’s godmother. Parton has never rubbished the romances, but she often says that such friendships are platonic whenever these rumors spark up.
Too Close For Comfort
Parton’s demanding career explains the reason why she needs a trusted assistant by her side. Parton employed the services of Judy Ogle, a close friend who she has known from her childhood, as her assistant. Their closeness has often sent tongues wagging.
In the ‘90s, she was reported to have stepped out with a man from her close circle. Daily Mail reported that Dean has never quite forgiven her for it because the relationship lasted for six years. It ended when Parton reportedly refused to leave Dean. It is yet another rumor she has never confirmed or denied.
Public Spats
For a couple who has rarely been seen in public together, it’s hard to believe that they have ever had any public spats. Well, turns out they have as displayed by Parton in the past.
Back in the ‘80s, she set roots in Los Angeles and Hawaii with the purchase of properties in the area. Dean reportedly refused to visit their new homes and Parton wasn’t happy about it. In her point of view, his refusal meant that he wasn’t in love with her anymore. They managed to smooth things out in the end.
Trying Times
The ‘80s saw Parton share the screen with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in 9 to 5. She also worked on the theme song for the movie, and it topped the country charts. After her contract with RCA Records lapsed in 1986, they decided not to renew it.
It was a trying time for her career as well as her marriage. Parton eventually admitted about having an emotional affair that nearly ruined her marriage. She said that she went through personal turmoil at the time, and she ended up depressed. The depression nearly led her to her death.
Help From An Unlikely Source
She found a sense of meaning all over again from the unlikeliest of places when she was on the verge of ending it all. With a weapon in hand, she heard Popeye, her French bulldog, patter into the room. The sound made by his paws as he entered the room jolted her back to reality.
She froze as the realization of what she was about to do came flooding in, and she finally set the gun down. She prayed, and she still believes that Popeye was God’s messenger at the time. She shared the highly personal details in her 2017 publication Dolly on Dolly.
No Children
It’s safe to say that children weren’t meant to be a part of the equation for Parton and Dean. Parton had a partial hysterectomy in the ‘80s after years of suffering from severe gynecological issues. That put a hammer on the head when it came to having children, and they have never had any and it doesn’t seem like they ever will.
It must have been tough for them to come to terms with the huge blow, explaining why they never sought other alternatives. Parton has plenty of nephews and nieces to dote over. Her life has never been and will never be devoid of love.