“Words can’t do justice.” With those heartbreaking words, Dolly Parton confirmed the loss of her beloved husband, Carl Dean—the man who stood by her side for nearly 60 years and the quiet force behind one of her most iconic songs, Jolene.

At 82, Carl’s passing marks the end of a love story that spanned decades, built on devotion, laughter, and an unshakable bond away from the spotlight. Fans around the world mourn with Dolly, as the woman who has given so much light to others now faces one of her darkest moments.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly six decades, has died. The country icon spoke out in the wake of her spouse’s death in a social media post.

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

According to the post, Dean died on March 3 in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 82. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s Romance

Parton and Dean’s romance is decades-long, though the couple chose to remain largely private since they met outside a laundromat in 1964.

“My first thought was ‘I’m gonna marry that girl,’” Dean told Entertainment Tonight in 2016. “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.”

After tying the knot in 1966, Dean, a businessman, did not attend events with Parton. In fact, the singer only shared a few photos with her spouse over the years. Parton told People in 1977 that was because Dean was “sort of shy and quiet.”

Nevertheless, Dean, who inspired the track “Jolene,” always supported Parton from the sidelines.

“There’s always that safety, that security, that strength,” Parton told Knox News of her husband last year. “He’s a good man, and we’ve had a good life and he’s been a good husband.”

It’s for that reason that the pair wound up being a perfect match.

“I always joke and laugh when people ask me, ‘What’s the key to my long marriage and lasting love?’ I always say ‘Stay gone!’ There’s a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we’re together and the little things we do,” Parton told People in 2018. “Our life is simple but easy. We don’t even have that much company at home. We just like to be together.”

In addition to Parton, Dean is survived by his siblings, Sandra and Donnie. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony.