Dolly Parton recounted meeting her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, in footage that has resurfaced following his death.
Dean died on Monday at the age of 82. The country music legend, 79, announced his death in a message shared to her Instagram account.
“Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie.
“‘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.’ The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time.”
Dolly Parton performs at the U.K. Country Music Festival on April 1, 1976, at Wembley in London. Dolly Parton performs at the U.K. Country Music Festival on April 1, 1976, at Wembley in London. Andrew Putler/Redferns
In a video posted to E! News on Monday, Parton said she and Dean got together before her fame.
“To have, you know, someone there in your corner and you know they love you for just who you are, not what you do, not what other people think you are… There’s a great comfort in that, knowing that someone loves you exactly for who you are. Because he fell in love with me before I became a star,” Parton said.
“And so somebody said, ‘Oh, you know, how do you feel about being married to a star?’ He said, ‘I didn’t know I was.’ To him, I’m his star, but he doesn’t relate to any of that,” she shared. “He doesn’t care about that. Well he’s proud of me, I don’t mean that. But that’s not how he sees me, not how the public sees me.”
At the time of publication, the video had garnered more than 60,000 views and over 1,000 likes.
Newsweek reached out to Parton’s representative via email for comment.
Parton and Dean—who inspired her hit song Jolene—met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee, on the same day she moved to the city to launch her career.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton said of Dean, according to her website. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Two years after meeting, the couple wed on May 30, 1966, and they had no children.
While Dean largely stayed out of he spotlight, he spoke out about their romance in 2016 after renewing their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary.
“My first thought was ‘I’m gonna marry that girl.’ My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin,'” he said. “And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”
Following Dean’s death, celebrity tributes poured in below the comments of Parton’s Instagram statement.
“Sending you all of my love @dollyparton! 💔🙏,” Billy Ray Cyrus said.
“Oh my heart! I am so sorry for your loss! My heart aches for you! My deepest condolences,” Khloé Kardashian wrote. Praying for you and sending you love and prayers.”
Other stars like Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson, Drew Scott and Jenna Dewan paid their respects by liking her note.
In an interview with Knox News last year, Parton said Dean’s love and support was key to her successful career.
“There’s always that safety, that security,” she said. “He’s a good man, and we’ve had a good life and he’s been a good husband.”
