Dolly Parton, Who Has Been Married to Carl Thomas Dean for 57 Years, Reveals the Keys to a Long-Lasting Relationship

Dolly Parton and her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, got married on May 30, 1966, in Ringgold, Georgia, and have remained together for the past 57 years – happily, might I add. As Dolly described it in a 2011 interview – “We’re really very proud of our marriage. It’s the first for both of us. And the last.” 

For some, this might come as a surprise, considering you’ll rarely see her husband at any of her events. She has been open in the past about his desire to avoid publicity as much as possible and has even joked about her husband only being to one of her concerts throughout her 60+ years in the industry. 

In a recent interview with ET Canada, the country music sensation and living icon opened up about how she has kept their marriage going for nearly six decades. It might not be the answer you were hoping for – especially if you spend every waking moment with your significant other – but it apparently works. 

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According to Dolly Parton, some of the keys to her long-lasting relationship are distance, a sense of humor, never crossing the line, and having differences in interests – though it shouldn’t take away from the few interests you share and love to do together. These are the ingredients of a successful marriage.

“I like it when people say, ‘How did it last so long?’ I say, ‘It’s [still] going. You know, there’s a lot to be said about that. So, we’re not in each other’s face all the time. He’s not in the business, so we have different interests, but yet we have the things we love to do together,” said Parton, adding ‘it was meant to be.’

Dolly Parton also alluded to her warped sense of humor, which she shares with her husband. She explained how a sense of humor can help you move past things that would otherwise linger and create damage in a relationship. Instead, Parton and her husband don’t have those types of arguments.

“We both have a warped sense of humor. And I think humor, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that. Even if you have a problem, if you have a great sense of humor, if you say something you can’t take back [you] usually have some crazy way of getting out of it,” she explained.

Dolly Parton Also Opens Up About Her Dollywood Time Capsule

A few days ago, Dolly Parton joined Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show and they talked about a number of topics – including her Dollywood time capsule. Buried away at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa, which she opened back in 2015, the time capsule can’t be opened until the year 2045. 

When that day comes, Dolly will be 99 years old. In her interview with Clarkson, she complained that she can’t wait that long because she wrote and recorded a ‘really good song’ that’s now locked away in the time capsule. She wishes people could hear it today, but that won’t happen for another 23 years now. 

And I tell you, you have no idea how much that has bothered me. I wanna go dig that up so bad and think, ‘Well I need to use that song, cause like, you know, and it’s a really good song. Hopefully, it’ll be special,” Dolly told Clarkson, adding that it was odd writing a song that no one would hear for that amount of time. 

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“I don’t know whose damn idea that was. They weren’t expecting me to be there at all, and I probably won’t be. I might be there, who knows? I figure it’ll probably disintegrate and nobody will ever hear it, that’s what bothers me. If it rots in there before they open it,” the singer said, describing it as an apparent regret.