Dolly Parton’s nearly 60-year marriage to Carl Dean was unconventional, as her husband largely remained out of the spotlight.
Randy Schmidt, who worked on “Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton,” told Page Six in an exclusive interview, “Dolly and Carl certainly had an unconventional marriage, but it seemed to work beautifully for them.
“In the early years, she spoke quite candidly about the freedom they gave each other and the fact that they each lived very independent lives. Some of those comments weren’t particularly well received by her fans, and I think she eventually learned to keep that part of her life much more private.”
Schmidt further explained that the couple understood “what worked for them” and didn’t adhere to the typical standards of marriage.
He added, “Dolly famously joked that the secret to their long marriage was to ‘stay gone.’”
Parton and Dean, who were married from 1966 until he died in 2025, did not welcome children in their decades-long marriage, with Schmidt claiming she “expressed sadness” that she “couldn’t be the woman she had imagined herself being in that regard.”
“But she and Carl were always surrounded by children,” the filmmaker said. “Early in their marriage, they even helped raise some of Dolly’s younger siblings, and she remained extraordinarily close to her nieces and nephews.
“She ultimately came to believe that perhaps not having children of her own allowed her to give more of herself to other people’s children. As for their marriage, there’s no indication that it diminished what she and Carl had together.”
In a July 1984 interview, Parton admitted that she “couldn’t have children” even though she “tried for years.”
“I’ve never been pregnant in my life,” she told Andy Warhol at the time. “When I was a girl and fooling around, I was scared to death I’d get pregnant, and then when I got married and wanted to have children, I couldn’t have any. But I don’t miss it. I did for a while, but I realize that I am everybody’s mother.”
She also confirmed to Rolling Stone in 2003 that they had no regrets over their decision not to have children of their own, because they “take care of a lot of other people’s kids.”
Schmidt believes Dean’s death took an “emotional toll” on the country singer in her final year of life.
“She wasn’t always paying enough attention to her own needs,” he explained. “Whether that contributed to her death medically isn’t something I could speculate about, but emotionally, it had to have been an extraordinarily difficult period for her.”
The “Jolene” singer moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and met Dean at a laundromat. They married in 1996 when she was 20 and he was 23.
He stayed out of the spotlight during their marriage despite her high-profile career, as she attended movie premieres or awards shows on her own.
Parton’s reps confirmed to Page Six that she died after “bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.” She was 80.
“Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement read.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”
The last year of Parton’s life was riddled with health issues, as she canceled multiple appearances.
She will be laid to rest beside her husband at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.
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