Dolly Parton and Carl Dean's best quotes about their decadeslong love story

The love story between the late Dolly Parton and her husband, the late Carl Dean , is one for the ages.

Parton and Dean died less than two years apart after spending nearly six decades together.

Parton's death at the age of 80 was announced Tuesday, just 17 months after the music legend announced Dean's death at the age of 82 on March 3, 2025.

The pair tied the knot in 1966, and never had kids. While Parton's career rose to astronomic heights, Dean remained her No. 1 fan, watching from afar, out of the spotlight of his mega-famous wife.

Throughout the years, Parton sung the praises of her husband and their relationship, whether it was recounting how they met, sharing insights into their marriage or revealing how he influenced her music.

Following his death last year, Parton took to social media to thank fans for their support, ending the message by writing, "He is God's arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you."

Continue reading to see what Parton said over the years about Dean and their relationship.

Parton opened up about how she met Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville when she was 18 while speaking with "GMA" co-anchor Robin Roberts in 2019.

"There was a laundromat down from my little apartment where I was gonna be staying. So, the very day I go down to the laundromat, this good-looking man just drives by and he says something like, 'Well, you're gonna get sunburned out here.' And I said something stupid like, 'Well, what's it to you?' We start talking and, two years later, we married and we're still married, and that was that."

Though he stayed out of his wife's spotlight and chose to live a private life, Dean shared his first impression of Parton in a rare statement in 2016 -- the year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and renewed their vows.

"My first thought was, 'I'm gonna marry that girl.' My second thought was, 'Lord, she's good lookin','" he told Entertainment Tonight . "And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth."

In an interview on Bunnie XO's "Dumb Blonde" podcast in 2024, Parton shared the one request Dean made early in their marriage.

"He loves music, but he is not the least bit interested in being in it, and he told me that right up front," Parton said.

The singer then recalled begging Dean to attend an awards show with her early in her career, saying, "I rented him a tux and you know, begged him to go and he did. And, oh, he was so uncomfortable. The whole night, as soon as we hit the door, he started pulling off stuff."