They met in a Nashville laundromat in 1964, and through the dizzying heights of fame, there was always one constant for Dolly Parton – her husband, Carl Dean.
The couple have been married for 57 years, having tied the knot in 1966, two years after they first met.
Before she reached the top of the charts with hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” 77-year-old Dolly met 81-year-old Carl, who has been by her side ever since.
In her new Channel 5 documentary Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words, the singer opened up about how they first met.
“When I first moved to Nashville in 1964, I was washing dirty laundry because I was in such a hurry to move to Nashville from my home 200 miles away in East Tennessee.
Dolly Parton, 77, and her husband Carl Dean, 81, have been married for 57 years, having tied the knot in 1966, two years after they met
Before she reached the top of the charts with hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” 77-year-old Dolly met Carl outside a laundromat in 1964 (pictured at their 1964 wedding).
“I've never been to a laundromat before.” As I walked outside, there was this handsome man driving past the wishy-washy laundromat. And he pulled aside.
“So we started talking and got married two years later, and we’ve been married now for 32 years.”
Dolly previously admitted that “men are my weakness” in her 2017 book Dolly on Dolly, Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton.
She said, “Men are my weakness.” Short, fat, bald or thin – I've had crushes on some very unusual men, but Carl knows that I always come home and don't have sex with these people – I just flirt and have Fun.
“He's not jealous and I'm not jealous of him.” He knows I'm flirting. He flirts too.'
She added: “Yes, it's an open relationship but it's not sexual and I would kill him if I thought he did that.”
“He would shoot me too.” “At the end of the day, we love each other madly.”
Speaking on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show last month, Dolly made it clear why her marriage to Carl is enduring.
“We’ve been together for 59 years.” [years]“We were together for two years and then just celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary on May 30,” she told Zoe.
“I've never been to a laundromat before.” As I walked outside, there was this handsome man driving past the wishy-washy laundromat. And he pulled aside.
Dolly has previously spoken openly about how she and her husband have an open relationship, but not sexually
“But I think a big part of it is because we are honest and open and have a twisted sense of humor!”
“He's crazy, he's so funny and smart. “And I have a great sense of humor on both sides of my family, so I think the humor was always good.”
She continued by saying that mutual “love and respect” for each other has always been the foundation of their romance.
“There’s the respect and the love and I just like him!”
“You know, I would have liked him if he hadn't been my husband, if he had been someone else's husband. I say, “You know that Carl Dean guy, isn’t he funny?” “Isn't he a good guy?” So I think it's just mutual respect and we just like each other.”
In 2022, Dolly gave a glimpse into her romance when she explained that she enjoys “dressing up” for her man.
She told E! News: “Every day I put on some makeup and do my hair because I'm like, 'Well, the whole world, I'm out here and everyone else sees me all dressed up, and I'm not just going to do it.' ' Go home and just get involved with him.
“Nobody wants to make out with a slut!” It's important to me that I look as good as possible. I think it kind of helps keep things sharp.'
Although Dolly never had sexual relations with another man during her marriage, she admitted in her book that she had experienced an “affair of the heart.”
She explained that she had been heartbroken by an unknown lover, but admitted that it was merely an emotional affair.
“Nobody wants to make out with a slut!” It's important to me that I look as good as possible. “I think it kind of helps keep things spicy,” Dolly explained that the secret to their long marriages is dressing well
Although Dolly never had sexual relations with another man during her marriage, she admitted in her book that she had experienced an “affair of the heart” but said it was only an emotional affair
Carl, who used to run a road construction company in Nashville, has always stayed away from the spotlight and the couple is rarely seen together
Carl, who used to run a road construction business in Nashville, has always stayed away from the spotlight and the couple is rarely seen together.
While Dolly joked that he had only seen her once, she told Entertainment Tonight about a sweet conversation she had with her husband.
He said, “I didn't choose this world, I chose you, and you chose this world.” But we can keep our lives separate and together. “And we do, and we have.”
In 2011, Dolly told the Toronto Sun, “We're really, really proud of our marriage.” It's a first for both of us. And the last one.'
Although the couple has never had children, the musician stressed that she “didn't miss” having children.
She admitted that her career would have been put on hold if she had started a family and that children were not a “burning” desire for her.
She told Saga Magazine: “I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would.” When you're a young couple you think you're going to have children, but it just wasn't something I was keen on. I had my career and my music and I was traveling.
“If I had children, I would have stayed at home with them.” I'm sure and I was very worried about them.
“With everything going on, I would hate to bring a child into the world right now!”
“I always say, God didn’t allow me to have children so that everyone could be my children.”
Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words airs on December 29th at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5.