Dolly Parton’s heartfelt farewell to Carl Dean

Carl Dean, the long-time husband of country music legend Dolly Parton, passed away on Monday at the age of 82.

Dean, who was famously private throughout his nearly 60-year marriage to Parton, died in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton shared the news with her followers through a post on social media.

"Carl and I shared many wonderful years together. Words can’t fully capture the love we had for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," the statement read.

Parton first met Dean outside a laundromat on her first day in Nashville as an 18-year-old aspiring singer.

Recalling their first encounter, Parton said, "I was both surprised and pleased that while he was talking to me, he actually looked at my face (which was rare for me). He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know who I was and what I was about."

Two years later, on May 30, 1966, they exchanged vows in a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.

Throughout their marriage, Dean remained out of the public eye, preferring to focus on his asphalt-paving business in Nashville.

Though he avoided the spotlight, Dean continued to have an impact on Parton’s music, most notably inspiring her iconic song "Jolene."

In a 2008 interview, Parton explained that the song was inspired by a bank teller who had developed feelings for Dean.

"She became infatuated with my husband," Parton said. "He loved going to the bank because she gave him so much attention. It became a running joke between us—I'd say, 'You're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't think we have that much money.' So, even though the song sounds intense, it’s actually an innocent one."

The couple’s relationship was so private that rumors circulated suggesting Dean didn’t exist at all. Parton even joked about these rumors.

"A lot of people say Carl Dean isn’t real, that he’s just someone I made up to keep other people away from me," she told the Associated Press in 1984.

Parton and Dean did not have children together.

Dean is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie, according to Parton’s statement.