Dolly Parton Recounts Carl Dean’s Painful Final Days
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade. She holds a BA in politics and an MA in Communications. Her passions include music, animals, Disney, iced coffee, summer, and bad reality TV, especially Housewives and Vanderpump Rules.
Dolly Parton is recounting her late husband, Carl Dean’s painful final days before he passed on March 3rd, 2025. The two had been together for sixty years and married nearly as long. Now, the icon is opening up about Carl toward the end. Keep reading for more details.
Dolly Parton Recounts Carl Dean’s Painful Final Days
For sixty years, Dolly Parton had Carl Dean by her side. Even though he was a homebody and watched from the sidelines, he always supported his wife’s booming career and everything she did along the way. Carl did walk the red carpet once very early in Dolly’s career. However, he hated it so much that he asked to never have to do it again. Dolly obliged and they lived their own lives but came back together for special dates and road trips, which he very much enjoyed. When Carl was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Dolly opted to slow her career down some and be at home with her beloved.
She stayed as busy as she could, launching a jewelry line with Kendra Scott and a makeup line. Unfortunately, on March 3rd, 2025, Carl Dean passed away. She was brokenhearted over this but released a song shortly after to show how much she loved him and how his memory would live on. Dolly then made her first big appearance back after his death at the 40th anniversary of Dollywood. Now, she is speaking out about how hard it was for Carl at the end of his life.
Dolly Parton noted that Carl “suffered a great deal” before he passed away. She added that she is happy that he is at peace. Yet, it still is extremely hard for her to be without her main man:
“I’m at peace that he’s at peace, but that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him.”
Dolly also shared she’s doing far better than she would have thought but there is a lot to relearn right now as a single woman:
“I’m doing better than I thought I would. I’ve been with him 60 years. So I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”
Finding Her Way
Carl Dean worked very hard in his life and had his own business so he and Dolly Parton were always busy bees. Things do look different now without Carl alive but she is going to keep his legacy alive through her theme park. He would fly under the radar and not let anyone know who he was. That is what she is planning on doing now with Dollywood and living a bit more as Carl did. At the same time, she is ready to stop crying and live a little:
“I need to laugh. I need some fun, so I’m probably gonna be stupid. I’ve been crying enough the last week or two.”
Dolly is now getting ready for her symphonic orchestra tour, Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony. She also has her Broadway musical in the works so there is so much to look forward to. Of course, she will never forget Carl and the impact he had on her life.
Do you feel for Dolly having to watch her husband suffer so much but do you think it will motivate her to keep going? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
