Sending her gratitude in the wake of incredible sadness and loss.
This afternoon, Dolly Parton released a statement thanking family, friends and fans for all of their support in the wake of the passing of her husband of almost 60 years, Carl Dean. Carl sadly passed away on Monday in Nashville at the age of 82, and the news was released via Dolly’s social media with the following statement:
“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.”
Since then, tons of tributes and stories of Carl have flooded the internet, and plenty of fans and friends have reached out to Dolly During this extremely difficult time. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a spouse of that many decades, and while we didn’t know much about Carl, it’s clear how much Dolly loved him and how special he was to her.
Dolly has understandably not said much publicly since it happened just Monday, but in a new statement she just put out via her team on Instagram, Dolly said she wanted to send a “love note” to all of her family, friends and fans who have sent messages, cards and flowers in honor of her late husband.
She said it has “meant the world to her” to feel the support, and she is at peace knowing that Carl is in “God’s arms now,” saying she is “okay” and that has provided immense comfort:
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl. 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.”
Dolly is always so classy and kind, and this is no exception, even though she’s clearly grieving a huge and unimaginable loss. I know one day they’ll be reunited, but selfishly, I hope that’s a very long time from now:
The famous story goes that Dolly and Carl met outside of the Wishy Washy laundromat in Nashville in 1964, the same day that Dolly moved to Music City. They dated for two years, and decided they wanted to get married. And actually, at the time of their wedding, Dolly’s newfound record label didn’t want her to get married at all. They thought it might tarnish her image, and as we all know, Dolly did what she wanted anyways… so she and Carl Dean secretly ran off to Ringgold, Georgia, along with Parton’s mom Avie Lee as a witness, and headed for the local courthouse.
The rest, as they say, is history, and he’s been by her side for decades, and while we never saw him in-person, he was a guiding light and rock in the life of an incredible woman who accomplished everything and more.
RIP Carl Dean
