Dolly Parton, the country music icon who died aged 80, was married to Carl Thomas Dean for nearly 60 years before his death. The couple, who wed on 30 May 1966, did not have children, a decision the singer addressed candidly over the years.
A Decision Shaped by Health and Career
In a 2014 interview with Billboard, Parton said she and Dean initially assumed they would have children. "Early on, when my husband and I were dating, and then when we got married, we just assumed we would have kids," she said. "We weren't doing anything to stop it. In fact, we thought maybe we would. We even had names if we did, but it didn't turn out that way."
She added: "Now that Carl and I are older, we often say, 'Aren't you glad we didn't have kids? Now we don't have kids to worry about.'"
No Regrets, Says Parton
Nine years later, in an interview with Saga Magazine, Parton was asked if she regretted not having a family. "I haven't missed it like I thought I might," she said. "When you're a young couple, you think you're going to have kids, but it just wasn't one of those burning things for me. I had my career and my music, and I was travelling. If I'd had kids, I'd have stayed at home with them. I'm sure and worried myself to death about them."
She continued: "With everything that's going on, I'd hate to be bringing a child into this world right now! I always say God didn't let me have children so that all kids could be mine."
Health Struggles and a Second Wedding
In her 2017 book Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton, the singer revealed she was diagnosed with endometriosis at 35. The condition, where cells similar to those in the womb lining grow elsewhere, can cause severe period pain, heavy periods, and infertility. Parton had a partial hysterectomy at 36, meaning she could not have children naturally.
Of the operation's impact, she wrote: "Suddenly I was a middle-aged woman. I went through a dark time." The couple marked their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016 by marrying for a second time. Dean died on 3 March 2025 in Nashville, aged 82. Announcing his death on Instagram, Parton said: "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 asks for privacy during this difficult time."
