Dolly Parton Was Slammed For Resembling ‘Town Tramp’ But Her Husband Of 56 Years Was ‘Never Turned Off’

Feb 17, 2023 by apost team

Dolly Parton is an icon who has been in the spotlight for decades as one of the best female country singers and musicians of all time. Known for her vibrant, bubbly personality, unique vocal tone, and beautiful songwriting skills, Parton has gone on to become a legend in the entertainment industry. Even more beautiful than her voice and lyricism is the fact that Parton uses her platform for the betterment of others through donations and charity work.

Her humble beginnings could be one of the reasons for her kind heart. The “Jolene” singer grew up as one of 12 children in a poor Tennessee family, and her journey to stardom is one that draws an outpouring of love and admiration. Parton’s musical talents became known early on, and before long, she began writing her own songs. After graduating high school in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to become a star. Incidentally, not only did she kick off what would be a legendary career that year, but she also met the love of her life – her future husband, Carl Dean.

The couple has been happily married for more than five decades, but Dean tends to stay out of the spotlight, allowing Parton to truly shine. The singer has shared a few rare photos of her husband here and there but opened up about what led her to make the decision to keep her love life so private.

Read on to find out more about Parton’s marriage and her choice to keep it out of the public eye.

Over the years, Parton has given fans small glimpses into her private life in her marriage to Dean. Shortly after the singer moved to Nashville at the age of 18, she met Dean when he was 21 outside of the Wishy-Washy Laundromat. The couple has since been married for 55 years and even revealed that they “have never fought,” according to Showbiz CheatSheet.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Dean said:

“My first thought was, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl.’ My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’’ And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”

Parton also shared her side of the story on her official website, saying, “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”

After Dean visited Parton every day for a week while she babysat her nephew, the couple finally went on their first date. Dean brought her directly to his parents’ house, as he knew she was the one. The couple got married in May 1966 and have been in love ever since.

Speaking with “American Idol” alum Gabby Barrett on Amazon Music, Parton said that marriage is a business. “You got to make the right decisions for all the little things that come up,” she said. “We’ve never bickered back and forth because I never wanted us to say bad things that we would have to remember.

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As a country superstar, Parton spends a lot of time in the limelight and with that comes the heavy burden of criticism. As with most women in entertainment, a lot of it concerned her looks. She delved into the issue on the WorkLife with Adam Grant podcast and said:

“The main advice that people wanted to give me was to change my look — to go simpler with my hair and the way that I dress. Not to look so cheap, nobody was ever going to take me seriously, they would say."

She added, “The way I look and the way I looked then was a country girl's idea of glam… People wanted me to change, they thought I looked cheap. But I patterned my look after the town tramp. Everybody said, 'She's trash.' And in my little girl mind, I thought, 'Well, that's what I'm going to be when I grow up.' It was really like a look I was after.”

She said she felt she “wasn't a natural beauty. So, I just like to look the way I look. I'm so outgoing inside in my personality, that I need the way I look to match all of that.”

While it’s hard to believe the petite 5-foot-tall singer struggles with her weight, she revealed in the book “Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton” that she struggled with binge-eating.

“I was always just a hog, I still am. I’m short and I have a big appetite. I can’t do nothing just a little," she said. However, no matter how much Parton weighed, she always had her Dean in her corner.

“He doesn't care if I'm fat,” she said, and added, “He was never turned off. He's fool enough to think I'm the sexiest, prettiest woman in the world.”

Parton and Dean have managed to keep their relationship lasting for so long and stay strong by giving each other space. She even joked that her marriage has probably worked out so well since she’s gone working so much, according to Showbiz CheatSheet. Parton explained that her husband is a “loner and a homebody,” while she is more of an extrovert and someone who enjoys traveling a lot. However, the singer actually likes that she and Dean have separate interests, as it gives them a lot to talk about.

Although Parton is a megastar, her husband is someone who prefers a more quiet, private life. During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2003, Parton said that Dean was upfront about this at the beginning of their relationship, as he explained that he wanted to live a private life despite her rising fame. While Dean was clear that he loved and still loves Parton and wants to support her, he just isn’t comfortable with attending public events.

Even though the couple may not flaunt their love for each other in front of others at public gatherings, that doesn’t mean that they still don’t have strong feelings for each other and want to share those feelings from time to time. Celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary in November 2021, Parton uploaded a beautiful, rare photograph of her and Dean to Instagram. In the caption, she wrote, “Find a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does!” It’s clear that Parton and Dean’s love is one for the ages, as their adoration for one another is never-ending.

What do you think about Dolly Parton’s marriage to Carl Dean? Do you agree with them keeping their relationship pretty private? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones, too.