Country superstar Dolly Parton reveals the secrets to a long and happy marriage
The saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, and no one understands that better than country music icon Dolly Parton.
For over six decades, the country star has been known for her distinctive looks, number one hits and five-decade marriage to Carl Dean.
Reflecting on her 50-year relationship, Parton listed the things that kept the couple together. And surprisingly one of the things that kept them together was time apart.
“Yeah, stay gone as much as you can,” she explained to Whiskey Riff.
“I’ve been married 50 years, I’ve been home about 45 [days] of those, so it works perfect.”
But she also clarified that you both need to treat each other well for any relationship to last.
“No, actually, you need to have respect and love for each other, and you need to be good friends too,” she added.
While their love endures, Parton and her husband prefer to keep a low profile, seldom appearing together in public.
Parton explained the reason for this in a recent episode of her Apple Music Show, What Would Dolly Do?.
“Carl has never been in the limelight at all, never wanted to be in it. He don’t like it. He went to one thing with me early on, when we first married, to a BMI Song of the Year [event],” she explained.
She admitted that his experience at the event wasn’t a positive one.
“He came out there taking off his tuxedo, his tie and all that and said, ‘Don’t ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain’t going.’ I never asked him and he never did,” she said.
Despite his reluctance to turn up at awards, Dean’s support of his wife has been unwavering.
“He’s always been supportive,” she said.
“He’s like a brother and a father and a friend and a husband and a lover – all of those things to me.
“I think he’s kind of proud that we’ve been in it this long.”
Despite its longevity, Parton’s marriage has often been the subject of gossip and inuendo.
At different points it was rumoured that Sylvester Stallone, her on-screen partner in the 1984 cinematic gem Rhinestone were entangled, as well as Burt Reynolds, her co-star from two years prior in the acclaimed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
And while such persistent and nasty speculation could put a strain on any marriage, Dean takes such things in stride.
“He’s always treated these things tongue-in-cheek and he’ll say, ‘Hell, I’d feel bad for any man that didn’t fall in love with her’,” Parton revealed.
Amidst the relentless swirl of rumours and the challenges of life on the touring circuit, it remains a heartening revelation to witness Parton’s enduring marriage flourish over the years.
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