Dolly Parton revealed the secret to her and Carl Dean’s nearly 60-year marriage just three months before his death Monday.
“He’s quiet and I’m loud, and we’re funny,” the country music legend said on Bunnie Xo’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast in December 2024.
“Oh, he’s hilarious. And I think one of the things that’s made it last so long through the years is that we love each other [and] we respect each other, but we have a lot of fun.”
The “Jolene” hitmaker explained that she and Dean often used humor to smooth over tough moments in their marriage.
“Anytime [there’s] too much tension going on, either one of us can find a joke about it to really break the tension, where we don’t let it go so far,” Parton, 79, said.
The Grammy winner also said that she and Dean made an effort to avoid getting into fights with each other.
“We never fought back and forth. And I’m glad now that we never did, because once you start that, that becomes a lifetime thing. I’ve seen it with so many people, and I thought, ‘I ain’t ever starting that,’” she said.
The iconic songstress said that she and Dean — who wed in 1966 — never wanted to “knowingly” hurt each other’s feelings.
“I couldn’t bear to think that he’d say something I couldn’t take … because I’m a very sensitive person toward other people and myself,” Parton said.
That same month, Parton told People that her last “perfect day” was spent with Dean.
“I had a day off and I got to spend that whole day with my husband,” she said in the interview.
“I’ve worked so much that we don’t often have all the long, full days that we used to have when life was not as complicated,” the Oscar nominee continued.
“Anytime I have some time off, that’s always a good day for me and for him, for us to have time off.”
Parton shared the news of Dean’s death in a statement shared to Instagram Monday. He was 82.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she wrote. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Per the statement, Dean will be “laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending.”
“The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time,” the statement concluded.
Parton and Dean did not share any children. He is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie.
