The country music legend Dolly Parton has been married to her husband Carl Dean for nearly 57 years, and he’s somehow managed to stay out of the spotlight for decades despite his wife’s fame. In a new interview, Parton is opening up to reveal why Dean has made a point of avoiding the spotlight throughout her career.
Parton Reveals Why Husband Avoids The Spotlight
Parton explained to Fox News that as soon as she started to become famous after they married in 1966, Dean told her right away that he wanted to stay out of the public eye.
“I took him to the first award show when I first won an award when we first married in ‘66, and he just started taking clothes off before we even got out of the building,” recalled Parton, 77. “Before we got to the car, he had that bow tie off from that tuxedo, that shirt jacket off.”
“And he said, ’Now I want you to be successful. Do whatever you want to do, but leave me out of this. I ain’t doing any more of these things, so don’t ask me.’ So I never did,” she added.
‘He’s Kind Of A Homebody’
When asked if this decision contributed to the longevity of their marriage, Parton replied, “Well, I think it does. And, one, the fact that he’s not in show business at all. So we’re not in competition on that. We don’t have to deal with it.”
“He’s kind of a homebody,” she continued. “He loves working on the farm. He loves working on his tractors and his trucks and all that. He was in asphalt paving for years. And then he went in kind of doing some real estate, but he didn’t want to be in the spotlight.”
Parton went on to clarify that despite having no interest in fame for himself, Dean is “very proud of and for me. So it’s all good. But I laugh. But, you know, he said, ‘That’s for you, not me.'”
Related: Dolly Parton Reveals What’s Kept Her Marriage Strong For 56 Years
Dean Praises Parton
Though he’s stayed out of the spotlight, Dean issued a rare statement about Parton for their 50th wedding anniversary back in 2016.
“My first thought was, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl,’” he recalled of first meeting Parton, according to US Weekly. “My second thought was, ‘Lord, she’s good-lookin.’ And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”
Parton and Dean celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in a private ceremony in Nashville.
“If I had it to do all over, I’d do it all over again, and we did,” Parton said at the time. “I’m dragging him kicking and screaming into the next 50 years. Wish us luck.”
Related: Dolly Parton Announces She’s Retiring From Touring So She Can ‘Stay Closer To My Husband’
‘It Was Meant To Be’
Parton further opened up about her marriage in December of last year.
“I like it when people say, ‘How did it last so long?’ I say, ‘I stay going.’ You know, there’s a lot to be said about that,” Parton told ET Canada. “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. So, it was meant to be, I think. He was the one I was supposed to have and vice versa.”
In the entertainment world, it’s rare to find a marriage that is actually able to stand the test of time. Parton and Dean’s marriage is truly inspiring, and we wish them many years of happiness to come!
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