Dolly Parton says late husband is in 'God's arms now'
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Carl Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 82
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Published March 6, 2025 1:55pm EST

     



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"**DOLLY PARTON'S HUSBAND, CARL DEAN, DEAD AT 82**"

Dolly Parton thanked her fans for showing her love during a difficult time in her life.

The  legend lost her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean, on Monday. He was 82.



"I can't reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God's arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you."



Dean died Monday in , Parton shared on social media earlier this week. His cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

> "I can't reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God's arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you."



"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," the  wrote on Instagram. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."



She added that Dean would be " in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie."

Parton first met Dean at a laundromat when she was 18, and he was 21. They married in 1966.



Parton thanked friends, family and fans for their condolences after her husband's death.

"**CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER**"

The title of the song was inspired by a "beautiful little girl" Parton remembered seeing in the crowd while she was onstage one evening.

"She was probably 8 years old at the time," Parton told NPR. "And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, and beautiful green eyes. And she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph. And I said, 'Well, you're just the prettiest little thing I've ever seen.' I said, ‘What is your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’”

And I said, well, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene. I said, that is pretty, I said, that sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that."



"She got this terrible crush on my husband," Parton told NPR in 2008. "And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kind of like a running joke between us when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’”



"**CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP**"

Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.

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