Journalist Describes Her Rare Visit With Dolly Parton And Carl Dean Inside Their Home

Dolly Parton and her elusive husband, Carl Dean, protected their privacy at all costs

Country music legend Dolly Parton is mourning the loss of her longtime husband, Carl Dean, who tragically passed away on March 3rd at the age of 82. News of his passing was shared across Dolly’s social media accounts. She wrote:

“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.” 

 

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For decades, Carl was the subject of much intrigue. Who was the mysterious man married to one of the biggest stars in country music?

Known for his reclusiveness, Carl only joined Dolly for one awards show early in her career. He reportedly hated it so much that he requested never to accompany his wife to such events again, and she obliged. Dolly described him as a “homebody” and added, “That worked well for us.”

Tanya Tucker was one of the few country artists to meet Carl. She described her visit with the couple in their Brentwood home as one of her “most precious memories.” Read her tribute below. 

 

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One Journalist’s Rare Opportunity To Interview Dolly Parton In Her Home

In 1977, country music journalist Alanna Nash had the unexpected chance to interview the “Coat Of Many Colors” singer in her Nashville home. Dolly and Carl rarely invited anyone, let alone journalists, into their house, as they felt it would “commercialize” their home.

So when the then-young woman got the call that Dolly had agreed to see her in her home, she was “flabbergasted.” Between spending weeks on tour and setting up her new house, the singer, who was roughly 30 years old then, was reportedly too busy to do the interview anywhere else.

Alanna Nash recently told the story of her visit to Variety. She described the living room where the interview took place as “a large, beamed-ceiling room filled with red velvet Victorian loveseats and sofas, red oriental rugs, white marble-topped tables, a beautiful old piano, and gold-framed pictures.”

The space contained many personal elements, such as a framed photo of Dolly’s mother, Avie Lee, a portrait of the famous “Coat of Many Colors” photograph, and an oil painting of Carl Dean as a young boy. Much of the artwork, furniture, and fans’ gifts featured butterflies—one of Dolly’s favorite symbols and an homage to her song “Love Is Like A Butterfly.”

An Encounter With The Mysterious Carl Dean

Perhaps even more unexpected than stepping inside Dolly Parton’s home were the journalist’s interactions with her elusive husband, Carl Dean. Alanna Nash describes Carl as:

“Friendly and polite and, after a little hesitation, took my outstretched hand. Tall and thin, bordering on gaunt, he was dressed in blue jeans, a flannel shirt, an old Army jacket, work boots, gloves, and a blue wool cap. But he was still ruggedly handsome.” 

The meeting took place in the wintertime, and Carl came into the house to fix a fire for the ladies. Before he did so, the reporter overheard him say to his wife, “I don’t want to do no interviews…” Even as he tore apart boxes to feed the fire, Alanna said he still “looked at his wife as if she were the only woman in the world.”

The room was tense at first, and “nobody said much of anything.” However, as the evening went on, Carl periodically checked on his wife and her guest, often bringing them something to drink or tending to the fire.

Eventually, they chatted about her time in journalism school and New York politics. She recalls:

“With each successive visit, he was more at ease, more likable and charming.” 

At the end of the encounter, Alanna told Dolly how glad she was to have had the opportunity to meet Carl, commenting on the rumor that some say he is made up. Dolly responded:

“He’s a real mystery person to the public. That’s good, though… I mean, that’s fine with us, fine with him. My career bein’ separate from my marriage is perfectly natural for us. We like it that way. It’s too right and too natural and too comfortable and too secure for it to ever be anything else.”

The final thing that Dolly Parton said to Alanna Nash as she left the Nashville home was:

“Come back anytime, as long as it’s not business!”