Carl Dean, devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit 鈥淛olene,鈥� died Monday. He was 82.
According to a statement provided to The Associated Press by Parton's publicist, Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending.
鈥淐arl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," Parton wrote in a statement.
The family has asked for respect and privacy. No cause of death was announced.
Parton met Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville at 18.
鈥淚 was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me)," Parton described the meeting. "He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.鈥�
They married two years later, on Memorial Day 鈥� May 30, 1966 鈥� in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.
Dean was a businessman, having owned an asphalt-paving business in Nashville. His parents, Virginia 鈥淕inny鈥� Bates Dean and Edgar 鈥淓d鈥� Henry Dean, had three children. Parton referred to his mother as 鈥淢ama Dean.鈥�
Dean is survived by Parton and his two siblings, Sandra and Donnie.
He inspired Parton鈥檚 classic, 鈥淛olene.鈥� Parton that she wrote the song about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean.
鈥淪he got this terrible crush on my husband,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us 鈥� when I was saying, 鈥楬ell, you鈥檙e spending a lot of time at the bank. I don鈥檛 believe we鈥檝e got that kind of money.鈥� So it鈥檚 really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.鈥�
Parton and Dean kept strict privacy around their relationship for decades, Parton telling The Associated Press in 1984: 鈥淎 lot of people say there鈥檚 no Carl Dean, that he鈥檚 just somebody I made up to keep other people off me.鈥�
She joked that she鈥檇 like to pose with him on the cover of a magazine 鈥淪o that people could at least know that I鈥檓 not married to a wart or something.鈥�
In 2023, Dean helped inspired her 2023 鈥淩ockstar鈥� album.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a big rock and roller,鈥� she said. The song 鈥淢y Blue Tears,鈥� which was written when Parton was with 鈥淭he Porter Wagoner Show鈥� in the late 1960s and early 鈥�70s, is 鈥渙ne of my husband鈥檚 favorite songs that I ever wrote,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥橶ell, I better put one of Carl鈥檚 favorites of mine in here.鈥�
She also covered a few of his favorites on the temporary detour from country music: 鈥檚 鈥淔ree Bird鈥� and 鈥檚 鈥淪tairway to Heaven.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
