Dolly Parton and her husband have been together for decades, but few can say they have met him or seen him on the red carpet. This was on purpose, as Carl prefers to keep out of the spotlight and let Dolly do her showbiz thing. But what has Carl done for a living, and what does he do now?
Needless to say, Dolly Parton is a multi-million dollar name in country music, so her husband would not have needed to work for his salary.
Despite this, Carl Dean has had a job which he held for many years before retiring.
He is a retired businessman, who worked in the asphalt road-paving industry for many years before settling down.
However, according to Dolly, he has become unwell in recent years and Dolly has spent time at home looking after him.
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In 2015, Dolly revealed she was prevented from performing with Katy Perry at the Superbowl due to her husband’s ill health.
She told GQ: “I would have done it because I love Katy Perry. At the time my husband was not doing good.
“He was kind of puny and I couldn’t leave him, so I couldn’t do it.”
She spoke more about this in 2020 to Good Housekeeping, where she explained how he has been in ‘poor health,’ and so she has found it helpful being at home.
She said: “My husband, Carl, has not been in great health for a while, so I’ve been spending a lot of time at home anyway.
“I live on a beautiful farm in Nashville, so we thank God we’re fortunate to have so much space. I never felt trapped because my mind goes wherever I want it to; I can always go to dreamland in my head…
“I don’t have kids, but I can only imagine what it’s like to have kids and grandkids and for them to be restless all the time!”
Dolly has kept her stage name, however her passport reads Dolly Parton Dean, showing how, despite his choice to remain in the background, they are committed to each other.
She explained his reasoning for staying out of the limelight to ET Online, saying: “It’s just not who he is.
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“He’s a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute’s peace. He’s right about that.
“I’ve always respected and appreciated that in him and I’ve always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can.”
She also said they ‘have a lot of fun’ and have ‘similar tastes,’ which adds to their longevity as a couple.
She added: “He said, ‘I didn’t choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together.’ And we do and we have.”
On May 30, 2021, Dolly and Carl will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary.
