Dolly Parton, the woman who wrote hundreds of love songs but had to get married in secret

She is possibly the woman who wrote the most about love. However, when it came to living her own story, Dolly Parton had to do it on the sly. Known for being one of the great references of country music, the owner of hits such as "9 to 5", "Jolene" or "I Will Always Love You" (theme that became a worldwide success by the hand of Whitney Houston ) has been characterized by sharing with her public every aspect of her life except one: her marriage to her husband Carl Dean.

Considered an icon wherever you look at her, there is not much that we do not know about the life of this woman, singer, actress, writer and businesswoman who knew how to capture the public's attention by dint of talent, beauty and charisma. However, behind her wigs, dazzling outfits and Grammy Awards, there is one person who knows her more than anyone and that is her loving husband, the man who has inspired songs like “From Here to the Moon and Back” and “Forever Love”.

From totally opposite worlds (she was fascinated by the glamour, glitter and lights of Hollywood, while he was a simple and low-key boy who fled from the media spotlight), the lovebirds crossed paths by chance and fell madly in love. . And although their love story was always listed as one of the most romantic in the world, the truth is that at first their relationship was not easy at all: the couple had to hide their romance for a long time and even got married in secret due to certain clauses of the record label that handled the singer's career at the time. Today, 57 years later, nothing seems to have changed. The couple is still as in love as ever and, above all, very far from the flashes.

Love at first sight

Born on January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee, Dolly Rebecca Parton graduated from high school and moved to Nashville to fulfill her dream of becoming a country music star. "I always wanted to be a star and for a star, Nashville was the world," she confessed to the New York Times back in 1976. Overwhelmed by the big city, the young aspiring singer never imagined that on that first day she would run into him : Carl Dean, the man who would become the love of her life to this day.

The way their relationship started could perfectly be the lyrics of any romantic song. The meeting happened by chance outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat. “I have come to Nashville with dirty clothes, I was in such a hurry to get here. After I put my clothes in the machine, I started walking down the street and this guy yelled at me from his truck. I saluted. Being from the country, I talked to everyone,” the Hello, I'm Dolly songwriter recalls, laughing, about the day she first crossed paths with her husband.

The crush was so strong that Parton admits to having felt an instant connection from the first moment. "AND she was surprised and delighted that while she was talking to me, she was looking me in the face, a rare thing for me. He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about. ”, She confessed what it was that caught her the most about this mysterious man.

And although the story began in a somewhat strange way, the young woman recently arrived from the town did not want to miss the opportunity to experience it. “It's not often that someone can say that her life was changed forever in a place called Wishy Washy. She had just graduated from high school, she had left two boyfriends at home and had no intention of finding another. She just wanted to work on my music. I didn't want any boy, any man, or anyone to lead me astray. So, what was she doing on the first day?”, she questioned herself although she immediately invited him to her uncle's house, where she was staying.

“My first thought was: 'I'm going to marry that girl.' The second was: 'Sir, she is beautiful'. And that was the day my life began. I would not change the last 50 years for anything on this earth”, revealed the man who -after visiting her every day for a week- invited her to a first official date. “He wanted to take me out to dinner. He stopped at the drive-in window and bought our food at McDonald's, ”the actress revealed with a hint of nostalgia, in 2018.

Shortly after their relationship began, Dean enlisted in the Army, but they stayed in touch throughout his two years of service. Upon their return, the lovers decided to get married, to which Monument, the record label that managed the artist's career in those years, was adamantly opposed. Apparently, the producers feared that her marriage would negatively affect her profession. “ Everyone at my label had invested money in me and in building my career, so they asked me if I would wait a year to get married (…) I did not intend to find anyone, but you know how love goes ”, She counted confirming the rumors.

A woman of arms, Parton ignored the request of the businessmen and ran away with her boyfriend to seal her love on the other side of the border. On May 30, 1966, the couple were secretly married at a chapel in Ringgold, Georgia, attended only by Dolly's mother, Avie Lee, Pastor Don Duvall, and his wife. “We went that same weekend to a little church in Ringgold. She had a simple white dress and a few flowers, and my mother left with me, ”recalled the American star about one of the most important days of her life.

For more than a year, the couple hid their new relationship status. They avoided being seen in public and promoting any rumor that could unite them . Maybe that's why when they finally made their marriage official no one could believe it. Against all odds, Parton's career took off on unimaginable scales, not only becoming "the queen of country" but also one of the most popular actresses on the big screen.

A low key marriage

Despite being married to one of the leading figures in film, music and television at the time, Carl Dean always made it clear that he wanted to stay away from the celebrity lifestyle. "I love you and I will support you in your career in any way I can, but don't ever ask me to go to another one of those damn things again," the director of a paving company warned his wife after attending a delivery of awards. Although fans may recognize him from the My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy album cover, the man still avoids red carpets and is rarely photographed with his wife.

They say that "opposites attract" and in this case that premise fits perfectly. “ We're complete opposites but that's what makes it fun. I never know what he's going to say or do. Always sorprise me ”, Confessed the protagonist of How to eliminate her boss, realizing that it is what most catches her from her man. As for how she takes her simplicity and low profile, the 47-time Grammy nominee expressed: “My husband is lonely. He has always asked me to leave him out of all this. He doesn't like the fuss."

This is how, from the first day they met, this couple decided to build their intimacy away from the flashes. “We like to get into our little bubble and be simple. I love reading, cooking, being with my husband. I put on my comfortable clothes (I call them my baby clothes) and we just relax (…). I married a really good man, a guy who is completely different from me. He loves to hear about the things I do. He loves to hear about the things he does. So we enjoy each other's company. we get along ”, She assured.

Apparently, this formula has worked perfectly for them, since not only has each one successfully developed professionally in their own field, but they have already been together for 55 years. “He is like a brother, a father, a friend, a husband and a lover to me (…). We like each other, we respect each other, we've always had a good time," she acknowledged during an appearance on Good Morning Britain.

Such is the love and affection that they have for each other that, on the occasion of their 50th anniversary, the couple decided to renew their wedding vows on May 30, 2016. “I am going to have a beautiful wedding dress because I did not have a big and long one when we met. we got married and we have a suit for him, so we are going to dress up and take a lot of photos”, he revealed while organizing a celebration totally different from the first wedding.

Childless

Despite the fact that this marriage has proven to be solid wherever you look at it, there is something that has always intrigued the press and the followers of the American diva: the decision not to have children. And although the actress and singer was repentant on more than one occasion, she eventually sought to exploit her maternal side through her foundation, for which she has been honored on more than one occasion.

“God has a plan for everything”, she repeated almost like a mantra every time she was asked about her desire to expand her family. However, over time, Parton came to understand why she never became a mother. “At first, when my husband and I were dating (and later when we got married), we assumed that we would have children. We weren't doing anything to stop it. We even had the names, but it didn't work out. Now I think that God did not want me to have children so that everyone's children could be mine, ”she reflected, who has managed to approach the little ones from her supportive side.

The truth is that for children, this woman - who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide - is better known as a "book lady" than for her career. This nickname is due to her foundation created in 1995, the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, responsible for getting books to children from birth to five years old. "By the time they go to school and learn to read, all these children have a small children's library at home to sow the love of reading," Parton explained about this program that began in Sevierville, Tennessee and had a clear inspiration: Robert Lee Parton , his father.

"My father was born in a family of 14 children, he couldn't go to school, and although he was very intelligent, he didn't know how to read or write," she said about who got involved in this initiative together with her. Today, 26 years later, this project has spread to the rest of the United States and has just reached more than 100 million donated books.

infidelity rumors

They say that "no one is saved from the horns" and, apparently, they would not be the exception either. Although they are one of the most stable and long-lasting couples in Hollywood, rumors of infidelity have haunted the marriage on more than one occasion, although they never spoke about it.

Speculation first arose in 1973, when Dolly released her hit song "Jolene," which was so popular that it later became the title of her fourteenth studio album. The lyrics of the catchy tune - describing a beautiful, young, red-haired woman named Jolene - immediately raised questions about her husband Carl's possible extramarital affair.

Far from denying these versions, the composer herself used this "myth" to play in her shows through comments such as "I forbade Carl to go to the bank where Jolene works", something that the public received with great grace. However, in recent years, the owner of Dollywood (a theme park where she often plays her concerts) decided to dismiss the rumor and revealed a much less scandalous inspiration for the famous song. According to The Independent, Jolene is actually a girl the artist met at one of her shows and promised to write a song about her because she had "the prettiest name" she had ever heard. It is not known which story is really true but seeing the love and respect that this couple has for each other, the first version is hard to believe.

Now, Dean wasn't the only one singled out for cheating over the years. After the writer confessed in her book Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters With Dolly Parton that her marriage was "totally open", speculation about an affair that completely devastated her was launched. "I cried an ocean but I'm not going to talk about it anymore. I have to keep a bit of a mystery, ”she launched without revealing the identity of her alleged lover.

Although this was not the only fact in which she was involved. Due to her great commitment to the rights of the LGBTIQ community, she has also hinted at a lesbian affair with her friend Judy Ogle, with whom she has always been inseparable. However, in this case, the producer decided to leave the mystery aside and fervently deny any kind of romance. “So people say that? Why can't you really have a great relationship with a woman? I'm not gay, but I have a lot of friends who are. Judy and I have been best friends since we were little girls. Our parents knew each other, we grew up together, we were like sisters, we became best friends, ”she clarified in an interview with The Sun.

The key to be eternal

The truth is that a marriage like Parton and Deal is almost unheard of in Hollywood, a place where relationships are characterized by being frivolous and ephemeral. Now, what is the secret to continue together in time and, above all, with the spark of the first day? After acknowledging that everyone asks her the same thing, the stage star confessed that "independence" and "giving each other space in the couple" is key to lasting over time. “I always joke and laugh when people ask me what is the key to my long marriage. I always say: 'stay away!' and there is a lot of truth in that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we are together and the little things we do, ”said she, who has been away from home frequently because of her tours.

“ He is crazy and I am crazy. We laugh a lot and I think that has been one of the most precious parts of our relationship (…). But, above all, you have to respect and like yourself, forgive many things and accept many others. ”, She confessed to US Weekly with a more serious tone.

The truth is that this couple is in the top five of the examples to follow and, day by day, continues to surprise with their displays of affection and unconditional love. In fact, recently the actress who turned 75 decided to give her husband a special gift, which she later shared on social networks with all her followers.

In October 1978, Parton starred in one of the most memorable covers of Playboy magazine in which she could be seen in a bunny outfit. 43 years later, the blonde put on the costume again to surprise her husband. ” Do you remember that at some point I said that I was going to pose in Playboy magazine when I was 75 years old? Well, I'm 75 and that wonderful magazine no longer exists, but my husband always liked the original cover, so I was trying to think of something to make him happy, "the interpreter commented in a video that did not stop accumulating likes.

"He still thinks I'm a hot girl after 57 years together, and I'm not going to try to talk him out of it," she joked as she sang to him. “In the first one, it was kind of like a pat of butter. Now I'm string cheese, but my husband will probably think I'm cream cheese, I hope so, "she concluded before the complicit comments of her fans.