Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, died Monday, March 3, at the age of 82.

Dolly Parton’s team announced Carl Dean’s death in a post made to social media, sharing that he would be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by immediate family.

Dolly added a personal statement that 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.”

Her team further requested privacy during this difficult time.

About Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s Relationship

Dolly first met Carl at a laundromat on the singer’s first day in Nashville. In an interview with the New York Times, Parton recalled her first encounter with Dean.

“I’d come to Nashville with dirty clothes. I was in such a hurry to get here — and after I’d put my clothes in the machine, I started walkin’ down the street, just lookin’ at my new home, and this guy hollered at me, and I waved. Bein’ from the country, I spoke to everybody. And he came over and, well, it was Carl, my husband,” she shared.

In a rare public statement, Dean shared that his first thought upon meeting Dolly was, “I’m gonna marry that girl. My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”

The couple wed two years later in a simple and private ceremony witnessed only by Dolly’s mother, the preacher, and the preacher’s wife.

The couple renewed their wedding vows on their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dolly during this heartbreaking time.