Dolly Parton is a cultural icon and legendary figure in country music who has won over millions of fans with her endearing voice and timeless tunes. Although her career has received a lot of recognition, there has been a lot of curiosity in her personal life, especially her marriage to Carl Thomas Dean.
Despite living a quiet life away from the spotlight, Dean has supported and companioned Parton for more than 50 years, playing a crucial role in her journey.
Fans have been captivated by their long-lasting bond because they are frequently interested in the person behind the celebrity. A peek at the mysterious person who guards Dolly Parton’s heart is provided here.
Dolly Parton Husband
Carl Dean is Dolly Parton’s husband. Parton married Carl Thomas Dean in Ringgold, Georgia, on May 30, 1966. Parton has acknowledged that her passport is “Dolly Parton Dean” and that she occasionally signs contracts using Dean’s last name, even though she does not use it professionally.
Former owner of a Nashville asphalt road paving company, Dean has always avoided the spotlight and hardly ever goes to events with his spouse. Apart from his well-known husband, little much is known about his life or career because he likes to remain out of the spotlight.
He has had an asphalt-laying business in Nashville since 1977, according to CountryRebel.com; however, it’s unclear if he is currently actively involved in that industry.
How Did Dolly Parton and Carl Dean Meet?
On her first day in Nashville, where she had relocated in the hopes of securing a recording contract, Parton, then eighteen, met Dean. According to Country Living, Dean was 21 at the time; thus, there was a three-year age gap between them.
“I was at the laundromat, the Wishy‐Washy—I’d come to Nashville with dirty clothes. I was in such a hurry to get here—and after I’d put my clothes in the machine,” Parton told The New York Times in 1976. “I started walkin’ down the street…and this guy hollered at me, and I waved. Bein’ from the country, I spoke to everybody. And he came over and, well, it was Carl, my husband.”
Although Parton was hesitant to date, she asked Dean to join her on her aunt’s porch as she watched her nephew.
“He came up every day that week, and we set out on the porch. I wouldn’t even take him in the house,” Parton told The New York Times. “Then my aunt got a day off, and she could keep the kid, and that was my first chance to go anywhere with Carl. He drove me straight to his folks’ house and introduced me to his mother and daddy. Cause he said he knew right the minute he saw me that that’s the one he wanted.”
What Did Dolly Parton’s Husband Do?
According to Stylecaster, when they first met, Dean was an asphalt merchant from Nashville. He keeps his connection with his country music icon wife very quiet and is hardly ever seen in public.
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Dolly Parton’s Career
Parton was invited to join the organization of musician and country music performer Porter Wagoner in 1967. Wagoner offered Parton a regular slot on his weekly syndicated television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, as well as in his touring show.
Parton’s 1994 autobiography recalls how, at first, a large portion of Wagoner’s audience was upset that Norma Jean, the act she had replaced, had departed the program and was hesitant to embrace Parton (sometimes, the audience would yell loudly for Norma Jean).
But Parton was eventually accepted with Wagoner’s help. Wagoner persuaded RCA Victor, his label, to sign her. In order to safeguard their investment, RCA chose to release her debut record as a Wagoner duet.
Released in late 1967, the song—a version of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”—reached the country Top 10 in January 1968, beginning a nearly six-year run of consecutive Top 10 hits for the duo.
“Just Because I’m a Woman,” Parton’s debut solo single for RCA Victor, was released in the summer of 1968 and peaked at number 17 on the charts. It was a moderate hit.
Even “In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad),” which eventually became a standard, wasn’t as popular as her duets with Wagoner during the next two years.
The Country Music Association awarded the duo Vocal Group of the Year in 1968, although Parton’s solo albums were never given any attention. Wagoner had a significant financial stake in her career; he co-produced her in 1969 and controlled almost half of the publishing company Parton had created with Bill Owens, Owe-Par.
