VIDEO: Why Dolly Parton's husband has never attended events
As a veteran in the entertainment industry, the 'Jolene' singer has managed to keep her private life surprisingly private.
When you become a world-famous entertainer, keeping the prying public eye out of your business is hard.
Many actors and musicians have had to ask paparazzi to leave them, and sometimes their families, alone.
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For up-and-coming stars, the new level of fame can be overwhelming.
So, what’s it like having to put up with this lack of privacy for more than 60 years?
Dolly Parton, an icon in every sense of the word, has been in the entertainment industry for over six decades. She's brought hits like 'Jolene', 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Islands In The Stream' (featuring Kenny Rogers) into our lives.
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The queen of country has not only made her mark with music but also had her own TV show, 'Dolly', owns a theme park, and even released a cookbook, 'Good Lookin' Cookin' recently.
Always in demand, Dolly’s calendar is packed with red-carpet events and live performances.
Incredibly, she’s one of the few Hollywood stars whose marriage has lasted over 50 years.
Yet, if you've seen Dolly at an event, you might've noticed something: her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, is never by her side.
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At first glance, this might seem like Carl isn't supportive of his wife's career, but there’s a perfectly valid reason for their private dynamic.
In a recent interview with Bunnie Xo for her podcast 'Dumb Blonde', Dolly opened up about their relationship.
Bunnie, the wife of popular singer Jelly Roll and a rising star in the podcast world, starts the conversation by sharing her admiration for Dolly.
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As the partner of a famous artist herself, Bunnie is naturally curious about Dolly and Carl’s relationship, and Dolly explains why she prefers to attend events solo.
He loves music, but he's not the least bit interested in being in it. And he told me that right upfront.
The couple married in 1966, and just a year later, Dolly won the BMI Song Of The Year award for her hit 'Put it Off Until Tomorrow.'
However, this event would be the first and last the couple would attend together.
And I rented him a tux and, you know, begged him to go, and he did. And, oh, he was so uncomfortable the whole night. When we got home, he started pulling off stuff. He said, ‘Look, now I want you to do everything you want to do, and I wish you the best, but don't ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain't going.’ And he never did.
She explains that their decision is based on mutual respect, emphasising that she respects him because she didn’t realise how uncomfortable these events would make him.
In fact, he’s not fond of large gatherings, like dinner parties, either.
He was a homebody, and that worked well for us... I don't know if anybody out there that goes by astrology or pays attention to that. But he’s Cancer and I'm Capricorn, and those are compatible signs. He loved to go places, if we were gonna drive cross-country or if we had planned a thing. But, boy, he never could wait to get home.
Watch the full interview here:
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Main image courtesy of @HistoryInPics/X