Is Dolly Parton Married? Her Relationships' Timeline

Inside Dolly Parton's longstanding marriage: The singer and her husband have been married for over five decades!  

Dolly Parton, as a singer-songwriter, is one of the best-recognized names in the industry, and over the years, she has also spanned her empire to become a businesswoman and a producer. Parton's multi-faceted career is the best-explored aspect of Dolly's life, but the I'll Always Love You crooner has built a huge wall around her personal life. Although she alludes to a happy and longstanding marriage, many doubt the musician's single narration.  

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee. Dolly recalls growing up extremely poor with 11 more siblings. Parton escaped her poverty-ridden life via songwriting and later found her calling in country songs. While building the invincible brand, Parton found "the one" along the way. Parton's marriage with her husband is as enduring if not more than the singer's decades-long career. Get Dolly's net worth details here.  

Dolly Parton's enduring marriage!  

Parton is happily married to Carl Thomas Dean, a retiree from Nashville. The couple's relationship goes back to Dolly's initial days in the showbiz. The then-budding songwriter was only at the onset of her now-monumental career when she met Dean. After graduating from Sevier County High School, Parton moved to Nashville to pursue a musical career and formed a relationship with Dean.   

Dolly met her now-husband during the onset of her career in Nashville. Photo Source: Instagram

According to Parton's account, the two had a very fast-paced relationship as they got hitched after only two years of knowing each other on May 30, 1966. During their years together as a healthy young couple, the pair didn't have any children, and nor are there any hints at welcoming any now that they are in the fifth decade of their marriage.   

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Parton's and her husband's extremely restricted lives have led many to suspect the duo's relationship, with some wild fan theories going as far as to question Dean's existence at all; a viable concern considering there's no any information available about Dean in the public domain, despite being the husband to one of the greatest music icons. Even the Academy Award-winning singer has admitted to being aware of the theory.   

Dolly's husband, Carl, is a retiree from Nashville.
 Photo Source: Instagram

In her and her husband's defense, Dolly says, "A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all." She adds, "It's just not who he is. He's like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he'd never get a minute’s peace and he's right about that." Parton commemorated Valentine's Day this year with a rare picture of herself with Dean.   

 Dean says he wouldn't trade the last 50 years with Dolly for anything. Photo Source: Instagram

"Happy Valentine’s Day y’all! Remember to squeeze your loved ones a little tighter today and tell them you love ‘em," the 9 to 5 actress captions while sharing a picture of Carl placing a peck on her cheeks. During their 50th anniversary in May 2016, Dolly's reticent husband had a little something to say about his chemistry with Parton. "My first thought was, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth," Dean said in his even rarer statement. 

Why didn't Dolly Parton have children?  

Dolly Parton and Dean's enviable relationship has many wondering if the secret to a happy marriage is staying low-key and childfree. The spouses of half a century don't have any biological children, although Parton has been actively involved in thousands of kids' lives through charity. The country icon has contributed greatly to philanthropy and has even launched her non-profit organization, The Dollywood Foundation.   

Parton explains why she and Carlson never had kids. 
Source: Entertainment Tonight

"I didn't have children because I believed that God didn't mean for me to have kids so everybody's kids could be mine," the singer said. Parton explains, "so I could do things like Imagination Library because if I hadn't had the freedom to work, I wouldn't have done all the things I've done." Imagination Library is a literacy program initiated by Dolly's foundation.   

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Like any other married couple, even Dolly and her husband once dreamt about having their children. "If we'd had a girl, she was going to be called Carla. Anyway, we talked about it, and we dreamed it," Parton had confessed, adding, "but it wasn't meant to be. You always wonder. My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, what would they look like?" Parton is a godmother to Miley Cyrus.  

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