Dolly Parton Shared the Secret to Her Long, Happy Marriage
Dolly Parton Shared the Secret to Her Long, Happy Marriage
Taste of Country Staff Sat, September 5, 2026 at 9:05 PM UTC
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©Rich Fury, Getty Images / via Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton was married to husband Carl Dean for nearly 60 years, but she kept many of the intimate details close to the vest and out of the spotlight.
She said that was the point.
What Was the Secret to Dolly Parton’s Long Marriage?
“I’ve been married for 53 years come next May, and my husband and I have a great relationship,” Parton told People in 2018.
“I always joke and laugh when people ask me what’s the key to my long marriage and lasting love. I always say ‘Stay gone!’ and there’s a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we’re together and the little things we do.”
“We’ve been together most of our lives. He doesn’t care what I wear as long as I’m happy,” she added — though she went out of her way to get dolled up for her man, even still. “He loves me the way I am.”
READ MORE:Here’s the Real Reason Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Never Dated
The two met when Parton was just 18 years old.
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“When I met my husband, he wanted to take me out to dinner,” recalled the country icon, who renewed her vows with Dean in 2016. “He pulled up to the drive-in window and got our food at McDonald’s.”
“We know a few little places we can go without being bothered. He only likes to go places where he can be comfortable!” she said.
And while the couple never had children during their marriage, it is something that Parton was able to get used to through the years.
“Now that I’m older, I realize I didn’t have kids of my own, so everybody’s kids could be mine,” she said.
Parton’s Imagination Library donated more than 100 million books to children through the years. “I [want to] empower children and give them confidence.”
Carl Dean died in March of 2025 at the ag of 82 after battling Alzheimer’s for years.
Parton died on Aug. 25, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80 years old.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
