Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband for nearly 60 years and the man whose flirting inspired her classic hit "Jolene," has died. He was 82. Parton announced the news today in an Instagram post. "Carl Dean,

Dean, Parton's husband of nearly 60 years, died on March 3 Dolly Parton is thanking her support system in the days following the death of her husband Carl Dean, who she said she has accepted is "in God's arms now.

Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Thomas Dean, passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025. He was 82 and had been married to the singer since May 1966. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” Parton said in a statement on Instagram “Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.