The "Jolene" singer has been married for 56 years but little is known about her husband. Photo / AP
The "Jolene" singer has been married for 56 years but little is known about her husband. Photo / AP
Little is known about Dolly Parton’s marriage and that’s perhaps what has made it such a successful one.
Speaking to ET Canada, the country music singer opened up about her 56-year marriage saying: “I like it when people say, ‘How did it last so long?’ I say, ‘I stay going,’”
Parton was 18 when she married Nashville, Tennessee, businessman Carl Thomas Dean, then 21, in 1966. Since tying the knot, the two have largely kept her relationship out of the spotlight.
But Parton likes it that way. She told the news outlet: “You know, there’s a lot to be said about that. So, we’re not in each other’s face all the time.”
“He’s not in the business, so we have different interests, but yet we have the things we love to do together. So it was meant to be, I think. He was the one I was supposed to have and vice versa.”
One of just a handful of photos of Dolly Parton and her husband that have been made public. Photo / Supplied
The singer did say there have been highs and lows in their marriage as most relationships experience. but the two are consistent in the way they overcome them.
“We both have a warped sense of humour. And I think humour, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that.”
She went on to say that whenever either of them has a problem or has said something they might regret later, they use their sense of humour or another “crazy way” to overcome the issue.
When asked if the couple have experienced any serious fights in their nearly six decades-long marriage, the Jolene singer admitted they have had fights but rarely are they serious.
“We’ve never had, you know, serious arguments to say bad things to each other we have to take back,” she explained.
Dolly Parton shared this vintage picture of her and her husband (with a Dolly T-shirt Photoshopped onto Carl) on Instagram last year. Photo / Instagram
Parton - who has a new album coming up – also revealed during the interview that something special about the project is that there are a few songs dedicated to her beloved husband.
“I’m doing so many of his favourite songs on the album, so I’ll play it to him when it’s all done.”
It comes after Parton revealed during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show that she has a secret song fans will have to wait until 2045 to hear.
The 9 to 5 hitmaker explained that in 2015 she recorded a song during the opening of her Dollywood DreamMore Resort opening and put it in a time capsule that will be opened on the 30th anniversary of the resort in 2045.
“You have no idea how that has bothered me,” Parton said. “I wanna go dig that up so bad. It’s a really good song!”
Parton, who will be 99 by the time the vault can be opened said: “They weren’t expecting me to be there at all and I probably won’t be,” Parton said. “I might be there, who knows? I figure it’ll probably disintegrate and nobody will ever hear it, that’s what bothers me - if it rots in there before they open it.”
