**Dolly Parton’s Beloved Husband Carl Dean Passes Away at 82**

Dolly Parton’s enduring love story with Carl Dean comes to a heartbreaking close as the acclaimed singer mourns the loss of her husband after nearly six decades of marriage.

Carl Dean, the beloved husband of legendary country music star Dolly Parton, has passed away at the age of 82. Dean, who maintained a notably private life, died on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. Parton expressed her sorrow in a heartfelt social media message, stating, “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.”

The couple's love story began when a teenage Parton met Dean outside a laundromat on her first day in Nashville, Arkansas, as she pursued her dreams in music. Parton fondly reminisced about their first encounter, highlighting Dean’s genuine interest in her, saying, "I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face." Just two years later, they tied the knot on May 30, 1966, in a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.

Although Dean preferred to stay out of the public eye, managing an asphalt-paving business, his influence remained palpable in Parton's music, notably in her iconic song "Jolene," which she once revealed was inspired by a bank teller who had a crush on Dean. Parton lightheartedly remarked on the situation, noting, "It was kinda like a running joke between us—when I was saying, 'Hell, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.'"

Over the years, the couple's relationship sparked whispers, and at times, doubts regarding Dean’s existence, causing Parton to humorously assert, "A lot of people say there's no Carl Dean, that he's just somebody I made up to keep other people off me."

The couple did not have any children together, but Dean is remembered fondly and survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie, as shared in Parton's poignant announcement. Dolly Parton's fans, along with the country music community, now mourn the loss of the man who was a cornerstone of the singer’s life for nearly six decades.