Country singer Dolly Parton is mourning the death of her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean. He was 82 at the time of his passing.
Although they were married for six decades, Dolly, 79, kept her personal life with Carl under wraps. The couple did not share any children.
The Jolene singer’s heartbreaking announcement, made overnight (March 2), has been met with an overwhelming response, as friends and fans offer her support.
Dolly Parton’s husband dies aged 82
A post shared on Dolly’s Instagram revealed the death of Carl. The singer reminisced about the “wonderful years” she spent with her husband.
The post said: “Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie.”
A message from Dolly then read: “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
The statement ended: “The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time.”
The cause of Carl’s death hasn’t been revealed. Reports claim he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.
Upon seeing the announcement, Dolly’s followers rushed to her comments with heartwarming messages.
One person wrote: “Oh Dolly, my heart goes out to you and yours, my deepest sympathies.”
Another added: “I am so so sorry for your loss Dolly. I’m glad you’ve got to have so many wonderful years with him and I’m sorry you couldn’t have more.”
A third person commented: “So sorry for your loss Dolly. Sending you love and strength.”
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Carl Dean was a happy ‘loner’
Dolly and Carl met in 1964 and tied the knot two years later. The country star was 18 at the time, and her husband was 21.
Although Carl stayed out of the spotlight, Dolly occasionally talked about her husband. During an interview around the time of their 50th wedding anniversary, she revealed that he was a “loner”.
The Sun reports she told PEOPLE that Carl “doesn’t particularly care about being around anybody but me. He’s just always asked me to leave him out of all this. He does not like all the hullabaloo.”
Talking about her husband’s desire to stay out of the spotlight, she said: “It’s just not who he is. He’s like a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute’s peace and 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.”
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