Dolly Parton's impressive vocals, over-the-top style, and unapologetic candor have made her one of the most recognizable figures in country music. But there's one part of the singer's vibrant life that she keeps out of the spotlight: Her relationship with Carl Thomas Dean.
Over the past five decades, the famous couple has only been seen in public together a handful of times. Still, their long-lasting marriage remains strong behind the scenes. Here's everything you need to know about Dolly and Carl's private romance, from how it got started to why they never had children.
The way their relationship began sounds like the opening lyrics of a country love song. Dolly, who was 18 at the time, had just moved to Nashville from Sevierville, Tennessee. She was standing outside of a laundromat in 1964 when Carl pulled up in his white pickup truck and the pair started chatting. Dolly was "surprised and delighted" when she felt an instant connection to her future husband.
"It's not often that someone can say their life changed forever at a place called the Wishy Washy Washateria," she recently told 60 Minutes. "I'd just graduated from high school. Left two boyfriends at home, had no intentions of finding a boyfriend. I just wanted to work on my music. I didn't want no boys, no men or anybody sidetracking me. So what do I do the very first day?"
