Dolly Parton Opens Up About Her Marriage — & Why She’s Never Had Kids

Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton, her recently released book, revealed some shocking details about her long-term relationship – and why the couple has never had children. Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, have been married for over 50 years, but it hasn’t always been an easy journey. Dolly Parton is rarely seen with her husband at her side, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been a part of her profession for most of it.

A Whirly-wind Romance

Dolly Parton traveled to Nashville after graduating high school, and fortune appeared to be on her side. She met and fell in love with a lovely stranger who observed her washing laundry at the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day after she relocated.

He feared she might acquire a sunburn in her exposing attire and felt compelled to inform her of this. Dolly stated that she initially realized he was staring at her face, and the couple fell in love soon.

At First Glance

Carl Dean, famously quiet, finally gave his side of the tale of meeting Dolly. Last year, in honor of his anniversary, he said, “My first thought was I’m going to marry that girl.”

Dean was passing past the laundry in his pickup truck when he noticed Dolly and felt he had to talk to her. My second thought was, ‘Lord, she’s pretty.’ And that was the day my life began.”

Giving In To Surprise

Dolly Parton was captivated by the tall, attractive stranger who appeared preoccupied with her creamy skin. The connection was more than skin deep, as Dolly was “surprised and happy.”

According to him,  he was gazing at her rather than simply at her body when they spoke. “It was a rare thing for me,” she said, and “he seemed genuinely interested in learning who I was and what I was about.”

Puppy Love

Despite their youth, Dolly was just 18, and Carl was 21, the young lovers were almost inseparable following their chance meeting. At the same time, Dolly’s singing career was taking off, and she appeared to be on the fast track to success.

Dolly signed with her first label soon after arriving in Music City, but she had no idea how much she would be asked to give up by the executives to get her dreams off the ground.

A Promise For The Ages

Dolly and Carl were set to be married as Dolly’s career took off. “When Carl and I informed his mother that we were getting married, she was so pleased that she was “finally going to get to do a wedding.”

Parton told CMT News of the moment they notified Dean’s parents about their engagement. Because her only daughter had run away, she was overjoyed that she would be able to throw a big wedding party.”

Retreating To The Country

As happy as the Partons and Deans were for their children, Dolly would have to dampen their spirits when her label contacted and told her how they wanted her wedding to go.

The executives didn’t want her wedding to be a distraction from the work they’d done establishing their image, given that she was about to release her debut album. Dolly was eager to please, but she wasn’t about to give up.

The Longest Wait

“Everyone at my label had invested money in me and in growing my career, so they asked me if I’d wait a year to get married,” Dolly explained. And I didn’t want to fail to perform my duties. Carl’s mother was devastated.”

Dolly and Carl were ready to marry and ultimately decided they couldn’t wait a year. Though the encounter was not what they had hoped for, it became a pleasant memory for them.

Midnight Train To Georgia

Dolly and Carl were not going to be deterred from getting married. The duo decided to travel to Georgia to keep the local media in Tennessee at bay. Parton only brought her mother, but once they arrived, she realized she needed one more thing to make the union seem legitimate.

It was Memorial Day in 1966, and the couple had been dating for two years. It appeared to be a now-or-never situation.

Her Mother’s Guidance

Dolly told CMT about her secret wedding, stating, “My mother made me a small white dress and a little bouquet.” “But I replied, ‘I can’t be married in a courtroom because I’ll never feel married,'” she added.

‘We got photographs on the stairs immediately outside the church.” It wasn’t what she had envisioned, but neither was marriage.

Star On The Rise

Dolly had to deal with her husband’s feelings about her career objectives as her popularity in the country music industry grew. Carl Dean joined Dolly for an occasion that included a red carpet shortly after their wedding. He dressed up for the wedding, but on the drive home.

He allegedly told her, “Dolly, I want you to have whatever you want, and I’m pleased for you, but don’t ever ask me to go to another one of those damned things!”

Self Made Woman

Dolly Parton was a rising celebrity when she met her husband, but despite her long-held goals of fame and money, there was a point in her life when her dreams appeared to be nothing more than a daydream. Tennessee is where the Southern beauty was born and reared.

However, it is all her current existence has in common with her history. Her accomplishment was all the more astonishing given her origins in the Smoky Mountains’ backwoods.

Cheaper By The Dozen

Dolly Parton has no illusions about her life. She was the fourth child of a family of small-time farmers who had a total of 12 children. Recently, Dolly has become more open about how bad her childhood was.

For starters, her parents were so impoverished that they paid the doctor for Dolly’s delivery with a bag of cornmeal. She had no idea, but she was in for a long journey.

Crammed Into The Cabin

Parton and her family shared a one-room cabin. Dolly has been open about the challenges they encountered, noting that their home had to accommodate 14 people while still lacking power and running water.

Music and religion were frequently the family’s only escape from the crushing stone of poverty. Like many other country artists, Dolly discovered her voice at church, but breaking out of the backwoods would be difficult.

Doting On Daddy

Dolly penned a tribute to her late father, who died in 2000, in 2015, to honor how he inspired her life. She told how, despite their poverty and her father nearly breaking his back attempting to care for the family, the children were always grateful.

They could easily tell how hard he was working, and she said they’d fight over the chance to wash his feet and rub cornsilk lotion on them.

Pass The Bucket

Dolly also recalled her father’s ‘dinner bucket.’ Lee Parton would leave the house every day with a green tin lunchbox in hand, but she said no matter how hard he worked, he would always save a portion of his lunch for his hungry children back home.

She said the youngsters appreciated those morsels, even if it was a taste of pie, a sandwich, or even a piece of bologna.

A Magical Elixir

Even in the 1950s, when Dolly was growing up, the family had to make do with whatever they could find because they didn’t have the contemporary conveniences that more prosperous communities had.

There was no television in the Parton home, but the children and their parents, Robert and Avie, found other ways to occupy themselves. The most exciting part was when Dolly’s father came into a battery, allowing the family to gather close and occasionally listen to country music on the radio.

Winter Winds

Though Dolly has made light of her impoverished upbringing, some of her anecdotes are not to be laughed at. She said they’d bathe in the river in the summer, but in the winter, it was simply too cold, and they’d have to cook a pan over the fire.

Dolly shared that her siblings frequently wet the bed, which she learned to appreciate because it was their only source of warmth during the winter, though it forced her to bathe frequently.

Out Of The Picture

As Dolly’s 53rd wedding anniversary approaches, she continues to elaborate on how to keep the flame alive after all this time. “I usually joke and laugh when people ask me what the key to my long marriage and enduring love is,” she said in a recent interview.

‘Stay away!’ I always say. There’s a lot of truth to that. All of their time apart makes them cherish their quiet moments together even more.

Music Of The Soul

Dolly’s early skill was noted by her parents and uncle, who saw the youngster making music on a makeshift guitar. Her first song was composed about her corncob doll, the only toy she could find in such hard times.

Dolly’s uncle saw her talent and helped launch her career by purchasing her a genuine guitar a few years later. She might not have had the chance to become the celebrity she is now if it hadn’t been for him.

Untapped Potential

Bill Owens, one of Dolly’s uncles on her mother’s side, was the one who encouraged the young songwriter to pursue a professional career. Dolly recalls him driving her in his rusty automobile to Louisiana to record “Puppy Love.”

Puppy love is a song they created for a small radio station. Dolly reflected on sleeping in his car, but the experience seemed worthwhile.

First Time Thrill

There’s nothing quite like hearing your first hit on the radio; Dolly had a similar experience. She was just 12 when “Puppy Love” was aired, and she couldn’t have been happier to hear her voice ringing across the radio waves.

“The radio was across the room, and I almost killed myself, slipping in the mop water, trying to crank the volume up,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.

Hoping To Cash In

Dolly got the opportunity to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage before she became a great celebrity. Dolly eventually had the chance to hear some of the top country performers sing live at the time, and one, in particular, impressed her.

Johnny Cash captivated the naïve young lady throughout her formative years. “He had this twitch when he moved his shoulder, and it was still attractive,” she explained. It still affected me.”

Wishing On The Books

Given her childhood adversity, it’s not surprising that Dolly likes her renowned over-the-top appearances, albeit part of her mother’s exquisite flair appears to have been inherited. Her mother’s guilty pleasure, she revealed, was perusing through catalogs.

She used to comment that these “wishbooks,” as they were dubbed, “made you wish you had things you didn’t.” I wanted fine clothing, jewels, and to be beautiful.”

A Lighter History

Despite Dolly’s difficulties as a youngster, her sense of humor always shines through, even while recalling how little they had. “You know how they usually mention two rooms and a bath? “Parton made a joke about her childhood.

We didn’t have any power. If there were fireflies, we’d capture them in a mason jar and keep them in our bedroom.” “We had two rooms and a walkway,” she added, “and when we ran to fetch it, we’d have flowing water.”

Scraping By

Long after Dolly Parton had become a national celebrity, she wrote about her childhood memories in several songs. One of the most well-known is ‘Coat of Many Colors.’ It may be a tribute to Joseph’s famously colorful coat in the bible.

However, Dolly explained that it also referenced how her mother made clothes for the kids out of rags and other fabric scraps.

Tousled And Teased

Despite the odds, Dolly did her best, coloring her lips crimson with a chemical that couldn’t be rubbed off as a youngster. Given that she didn’t appear much that different than she does today, she had made her way to the top of the social pyramid by high school.

Dolly had a tall bouffant with the help of hairspray and money earned from radio performances, which she paired with “clothes so tight she couldn’t wiggle in them.”

Backwoods Barbie

Dolly Parton met Carl Dean wearing the same outfit she wore in high school, and it appeared that her outgoing nature, which drew her to show business in the first place, attracted him. Dolly became a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show shortly after their marriage.

Marriage seemed to go as well as her career, which was unusual in show business, but things were about to get rocky in ways the couple had not anticipated.

Settling Into Home

While Dolly Parton began traveling the country as an accomplished and popular performer, her husband stayed in Tennessee and built a somewhat unglamorous profession as a road paver. Dean never complained about staying home to care for his business while Dolly went to live the glamorous life.

She had told Dean from the beginning that she would not be satisfied as a housewife, which he gladly accepted. He enjoyed country life but would show his support in various ways.

A Grander Return

When Dolly made it big, there was one thing she truly wanted to do: buy her childhood house. Though she wanted to keep the rustic charm it had when the family was in great poverty, she also decided it needed an update.

“I spent a couple of million dollars making it appear as though I spent $50,” she stated. “I designed the bathroom to seem like an outside toilet, for example.”

Shy From Dollywood

Dolly’s popularity has spanned several hit recordings and singles, but it has also allowed her to move beyond music. She is likely the only celebrity in the United States that owns a theme park.

There’s only one problem: Dolly is terrified of rollercoasters. The park itself is not too distant from her hometown. “I’ve got too much to lose—like my hair!” “she told USA Today once.

Covering The Art

As Dolly’s career grew, many tales circulated regarding her work on her body, specifically that she was completely covered in ink. Dolly hasn’t been shy about her medical operations.

Strangely, she’d go to such efforts to conceal tattoos from the public. Dolly finally admitted that she had several tattoos in concealed locations that she had gotten done to mask wounds.

Bringing The Bombshell

Dolly’s shapely figure is one of her most distinguishing features. When questioned about being teased about the size and form of her assets, Dolly stated that she was at first uneasy about what others were concentrating their attention on.

She added, “I understood it was me showing it off with tight outfits and whatnot.” So long as it’s in good taste, it doesn’t worry me. If it becomes tacky, I don’t answer, which makes them appear worse…”

Flipped On Its Head

One thing Dolly has never hidden is her fondness for surgical remedies. “I try to make the most of a bad situation.” I did whatever I needed to boost my confidence, and when people didn’t believe I had plastic surgery.

I tell them, “Yeah, I don’t look old, but I have aged my plastic surgeons.” She went on to say that everything she does is to hide how hard she works.

Back To The Grind

Dolly Parton’s 1980 picture 9 to 5, in which she co-starred with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, was a huge success, but there was no sequel. “I was never eager to do a sequel because they never came up with something as amazing as the first,” she explains.

I don’t like to tamper with history. However, this would address the same issues, which must be addressed repeatedly differently.”

In The Name Of Love

Even at 72, Dolly has no intentions of quitting working, although she has stated that there is one thing that would cause her to slow down even slightly.

“If my spouse needed me or someone in my family, I would put him first,” she tells People of her lengthy devotion. “I’ve always put myself and my career first, but if something happened to him, I’d reconsider.”

Emerging From The Shadows

Carl Dean has kept a quiet profile, but Dolly and her sister Stella have been loud about the fact that he is always there when it counts. He was seldom photographed with his wife, although there was one event about which the couple still laughs.

Parton was performing at a rodeo when she noticed Carl onstage, singing with her backup vocalists during Carl’s favorite song, “Higher and Higher.” As a joke, Dolly alerted security, who nearly removed Dean before realizing who he was.

The Hardest Moment

On the other hand, Dolly began to suffer with her marriage in the early 1980s. While it is unclear whether their marriage is open, she recently disclosed that she had an emotional affair with another man, which nearly drove her insane.

Though Parton has not stated that she is considering leaving her marriage, she has stated that she was in such psychological agony that she considered suicide in a moment of absolute despair.

Bringing It All Back

It wasn’t simply Dolly’s marriage that was causing her grief at the time. Her generally solid career was likewise not holding up as well as it previously did. She needed to re-energize her music, which meant returning to her roots.

Dolly brought it all home with “Little Sparrow,” which marked her return to the bluegrass sound of her childhood growing up in Tennessee’s Smokey Mountains.

Popeye Saves The day

Dolly describes how she clutched the handgun she kept for home security when she heard her dog, a little French bulldog named Popeye, enter the room. “The tap-tap-tap of his paws snapped me back to reality,” and I froze. I put down the pistol. I then prayed.

I think Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God,” she says in her new book. Even though it was her lowest point, she wasn’t ready to let go of Dean.

How Is Long Forever?

Surprisingly, Dolly’s hugely popular song, “I Would Always Love You,” was not written about her husband, raising the question, who will Dolly always love? The fact is that the song had nothing to do with Dean or their marriage.

Dolly merely composed it as a farewell to the Porter Wagoner Show. The song has three chart-topping releases, making it the first to debut at number one on the charts several times.

Allegations Pile Up

Dolly has always been plagued by speculations about probable romances with her co-stars. Despite her subsequent descriptions of how difficult he was to deal with, rumors circulated that she had been engaged to Burt Reynolds while filming Best Little Whorehouse In Texas.

Sylvester Stallone, Billy Ray Cyrus, whose daughter Miley is her goddaughter, and Kenny Rogers are among the other notable men she has been related to. Dolly has never confirmed any relationships and claims they were only platonic.

Open Or Closed

With all the stories flying about, it isn’t easy to know if Dolly and Carl are in an open or closed relationship. “People always ask me if I’ve had extramarital affairs, and you can draw your conclusions,” she said.

“He seems to know I’ll be back and that love affairs and relationships are just part of my dealings with people.” To further confuse matters, she has also stated that she only means flirting, not true affairs.

Only He Sees

Dolly has another secret. She only tells her husband about her tattoos. She has clarified that, while she is not covertly covered in ink, she has gotten a couple of tattoos throughout the years in areas where only her spouse can see them.

Given her colorful sense of flair, it’s strange that Dolly would be so secretive about her body art, especially given how open she is about her other physical changes.

Bank Of Auburn

Carl Dean’s propensity for being anonymous has long fueled speculation about the nature of his and Dolly’s secret relationship. While Dolly is known for her outgoing charm, one of her best-known songs, “Jolene,” was likely inspired by her jealousy over the attention she perceived her husband was receiving.

She explained how she’d tease him for frequently going to the bank, where a leggy, red-headed teller had a very obvious crush on Dean.

Bubbling Between Them

The public was unsure what to make of Dolly and her enigmatic husband as time passed. According to new research, Dolly may have had another affair with a different man in her intimate group in the early 1990s.

According to the Daily Mail, Dean is still enraged with his wife over the alleged affair, which lasted six years. Dolly has never confirmed the rumor, but the affair is said to have ended when she refused to leave Carl.

Getting Cozy

Given the rigors of Dolly’s job, it’s not uncommon for her to rely on a trusty assistant to get through the day. Judy Ogle, Dolly’s helper, has been a close friend of the sisters since they were children, but their closeness has caused tongues to wag.

Some believe the two ladies had an affair, especially after Dolly confessed that they frequently shared a bed. “Why do you have to shout across the room when you don’t have to?” “Dolly elaborated.

Slight Of Home

Talk of marital squabbles between Dolly and Carl is scarce, most likely because Carl is rarely seen in public. However, one issue arose when Dolly acquired homes in Hawaii and Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Dolly allegedly became irritated when Carl refused to visit her new purchases, accusing him of showing signs that he was no longer in love with her. However, the conflict was somehow resolved.

The Lonely Ranch

Parton and Dean never had children, but that wasn’t for lack of trying. In the 1980s, Dolly Parton had to undergo a partial hysterectomy, which caused her to have to reckon with the fact that she and Dean, who had been married for nearly 20 years at that point, would never have children of their own.

It was a tough blow to the couple, but Dolly shared that one thing had gotten them through the storm.

Faith At Fifty

Dolly Parton’s career began in the church, so it’s no surprise that she still considers herself a devout Christian. She revealed that her faith got her and Dean through those difficult years in the 1980s.

She believes her spouse is even more devout than she is, even though she often gets up in the middle of the night to pray and meditate. However, that is not what they attribute to their marriage’s

Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid

There’s no denying Dolly has and continues to lead a life full of accomplishments, but despite taking pride in being completely open with her fans, there’s one thing Miss Parton has kept to herself – and it involves her husband. Dolly’s husband, as outspoken as he is timid, has made no secret of his disdain for the fashionable life.

“Dean is a loner,” she stated. “He isn’t especially interested in being around anyone other than me.” He’s always urged me to keep him out of all of this. He doesn’t like all the commotion.” She revealed that her assistant Judy is one of the few people Carl can stand to be around besides Dolly herself.