Dolly Parton and Carl Dean, her husband, have been married for 54 years. And even though Dolly loves the spotlight, you'll rarely see her husband in front of the crowds.
The country music star met her husband when she was just 18 years old, and the pair married two years later in 1966. But some people have joked that he is imaginary since he has rarely been seen throughout Dolly's career.
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“A lot of people have thought that through the years because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all. It’s just not who he is. He’s, like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute’s peace, and he’s right about that,” shared Dolly. “I’ve always respected and appreciated that in him, and I’ve always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can. He said: ‘I didn’t choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together.’ And we do and we have.”
Dolly Parton And Carl Dean See That Distance Makes Their Love Grow Stronger
Dolly shares that time apart has actually helped their love grow for each other, and it may just be the secret to her and Carl's lasting romance.
"Our joke about the fact, when people ask me why it’s lasted this long, I say, ‘Because I stay gone.’ And there’s a lot of truth in that - the fact that we’re not in each other’s faces all the time,” Dolly said. “But we do have a great respect and admiration for each other. We both have a great sense of humor. So, we have a lot of fun.”
Even after all these years with one another, Dolly and Carl still make it a point to have date nights together!
"We do! My husband and I, we’ve been together 56 years,” Dolly explained. "We still have our little times, like in the springtime when the first yellow daffodils come out. Even if there’s still some snow around it, my husband always brings me a bouquet. And he’ll usually write me a little poem. Which to me, that’s priceless. That’s like a date in itself.”
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What a beautiful testimony to a lasting marriage! May God continue to bless Dolly Parton and Carl Dean's union.
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h/t: People
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