Dolly Parton has given a rare glimpse into her 58-year marriage as she revealed the reason why her husband Carl Dean refuses to attend events with her.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde Podcast, the 78-year-old country legend revealed that while her husband ‘loves’ music, he’s ‘not the least bit interested in being in it.’
Recalling a pivotal moment early in their marriage, Dolly revealed she once convinced Carl to attend an awards show in 1967 when she won BMI Song of the Year.
Despite the big win, ‘homebody’ Carl told her: ‘I wish you the best, but don’t ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain’t going.’
And, she added, he never did.
But throughout their decades together, the couple, who renewed their vows in 2016 at their Nashville home, have relied on their shared sense of humor to avoid conflict.
Dolly Parton has given a rare glimpse into her 58-year marriage as she revealed the reason why her husband Carl Dean refuses to attend events with her
Dolly Parton, 77, and her husband Carl Dean, 81, have been married for 57 years after tying the knot in 1966, two years after they met
Speaking fondly of her ‘hilarious’ husband, the ‘Jolene’ singer revealed ‘He’s quiet and I’m loud, and we’re funny…we have a lot of fun.’
She added: ‘Anytime [there is] too much tension going on, either one of us can like, find a joke about it to really break the tension, where we don’t let it go so far,’ she explained.
‘We never fought back and forth.’
While Dolly’s fame grew, Carl, who once ran a road-paving business, remained out of the spotlight, content to support his wife from behind the scenes.
And despite his reluctance to join her in the public eye, Dolly has always made an effort to keep their romance alive.
In 2022, she revealed in an interview with E! News that she always dresses up for her man.
‘Every day, I put on some makeup and fix my hair because I think, “Well, the whole world, I’m out here and everybody else sees me all dressed up, and I’m not going to just kind of go home and just flop on him”,’ she said.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde Podcast, the 78-year-old country legend revealed that while her husband ‘loves’ music, he’s ‘not interested in being in it’
Carl, who used to run a road-paving business in Nashville, has always stayed away from the spotlight and the couple are rarely seen together
Dolly arriving at her Dolly Parton’s Pet Gala without husband Carl Dean in January 2024
‘Nobody wants to make out with a slouch! It’s important to me that I look as good as I can. I think it kind of helps keep things spicy.’
It comes as this month, the ‘9 to 5’ singer oozed glamour on the cover of the December edition of Good Housekeeping, and gave fans an insight into Christmas with her family.
Stating that she has ‘Christmas trees in all the rooms,’ the singer revealed that tourists gather to admire the exterior of her home.
‘It’s a bit less tacky out there,’ she said. ‘Inside I can tacky it up any way I please!’
Dolly also shared a family tradition which sees her dress up as ‘Granny Claus’ every year for her grandchildren.
She said: ‘‘I get in my Santa Claus suit and I come down the chimney with my sack full of presents.’
‘Even though a lot of the children are grown-up now, they still expect me to do it. One day, I’ll be hobbling in that elevator!’
Before she soared to the top of the charts with hits like Jolene and 9 to 5, Dolly, 77, met Carl outside a laundrette in 1964 (pictured at their wedding in 1964)
