Heartbreak in Dolly World
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (73985)
United States
March 3, 2025 8:23pm CST
Unquestionably, Dolly is one of the legends in entertainment. I don’t even have to use her last name, and you know who I mean.
Dolly’s heart is broken today. Her husband of nearly 59 years, Carl Dean, passed away today.
When you have someone with the superstardom the magnitude of Dolly’s, it’s easy to understand how her husband would be referred to as “Mr. Dolly Parton.” He didn’t like the limelight, telling her after an awards show early in her career that he’d do anything and everything for her career but he would NOT attend those circuses again. Dolly frequently joked that, every now and then, they would get photographed together just to prove that he really existed. 
Carl Dean inspired Dolly to write a number of songs, the most famous probably being “Jolene.” She said it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it sounds, but about a bank teller who flirted with Dean when he went to the bank (prompting Dolly to quip that she once told him, “We can’t have that much money” 
). Most of the songs he inspired were genuine love songs, because they had a genuine love.
Carl Dean, “Mr. Dolly Parton,” was 82.
Here’s her hit “Jolene, which her late husband inspired.
Carl Dean inspired Dolly to write a number of songs, the most famous probably being “Jolene.” She said it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it sounds, but about a bank teller who flirted with Dean when he went to the bank (prompting Dolly to quip that she once told him, “We can’t have that much money” ). Most of the songs he inspired were genuine love songs, because they had a genuine love.
Carl Dean, “Mr. Dolly Parton,” was 82.
Here’s her hit “Jolene, which her late husband inspired.Your browser isn’t supported anymore. Update it to get the best YouTube experience and our latest features. Learn moreRemind me later
23 people like this
18 responses
@MarieCoyle (43083)
•
4 Mar
I have always loved and admired Dolly. And she has been so very generous in helping others, which to me goes a long way. They kept their private life private, and I honestly think that's a good thing. So many years together, it will be so very hard for her to carve out a life without him in it.
RIP, Carl Dean.
5 people like this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
Dolly is the star, and Carl seemed very content with that.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (43083)
•
4 Mar
@FourWalls
Married nearly 60 years. They found what worked for them and went with it.
3 people like this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
Me too. Great lady who’s given so much joy to people.
3 people like this
@popciclecold (39944)
• United States
4 Mar
Thanks for sharing. I hadn't heard it.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
5 Mar
@popciclecold — I don’t have TV so I’m online a lot at night.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
Never happy to share bad news, but it’s headline news on all the major news outlets. I even saw it on the BBC yesterday.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
She’s so iconic that it’s headline news on a lot of news sites.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
I think he grounded her, which is what anyone would need in that crazy world.
3 people like this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
I know. For her he was the rock in a very rocky business.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (173591)
• Boise, Idaho
4 Mar
Oh, how sad to hear this. I adore Dolly. She is one of my favorite humans. I know she will get through this okay. Still awfully sad.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (173591)
• Boise, Idaho
4 Mar
@FourWalls ......She write a song I bet.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
She has deep faith in God, so she will get through it. Life won’t ever be the same for her, though.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (115022)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Mar
That was very sad news to see this morning
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
Yes indeed. Such a solid marriage, especially in that business.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (123920)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Mar
What an amazing marriage in a world where celebrity marriages last only months or days. I'm sad to hear of the news, but love the fact that they were able to stay together, make it work, and be in total love with each other for so many years.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (123920)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Mar
@FourWalls Something we don't see much anymore in the celebrity world. Or, in the regular world for that matter.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (109001)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
4 Mar
I am sorry to learn that Carl Dean who was Dolly Parron's husband passed away at age 82.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
5 Mar
And he had a job, he didn’t just live off of her fame. Amazing.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (109001)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
5 Mar
@FourWalls That is very true.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (90009)
• Bangalore, India
4 Mar
She had such a wonderful husband, a silent support system at home. He sounds so kind and down to earth. May his soul rest in peace. Such true love stories are eternal.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
I’m sure he had to be, because she is kind and down to earth.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
5 Mar
He was a businessman on his own and didn’t rely on Dolly’s fame to promote it, which is pretty amazing in itself. I know she’s heartbroken.
1 person likes this
@grenery8 (16209)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
7 Mar
@FourWalls i think i also read that about him, him being a business man and you're right, it's beautiful he didn't exploit here, like some men do to some famous women these days.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163217)
• United States
4 Mar
They had been married almost more than a lifetime, and I am sure they may have had their ups and downs, but they have quietly been a good example of a partnership.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37774)
• Toccoa, Georgia
4 Mar
I read about that last night. Very sad but very inspiring how long their marriage lasted.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
4 Mar
Yes it is, especially in that crazy world.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (84311)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Mar
Always sad when our loved ones leave us. Now the waiting begins till they meet again, I remember when Loretta Lynn lost the love of her life too.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (73985)
• United States
5 Mar
Yes, and she lived the rest of her life without him. I feel Dolly will be a widow for the remainder of her years as well.
1 person likes this
