Why Dolly Parton And Late Husband Carl Dean Never Had Children

Country music legend Dolly Parton is grieving the loss of her husband, Carl Dean.

Although the two were not photographed together often, their love story lasted six decades. After tying the knot in 1966, the couple went on to have a deep and loving relationship. However, they did not welcome any children together.

Carl Dean passed away in Nashville on Monday, March 3, at the age of 82. He is survived by two siblings, but the pair did not welcome any children together despite being together for six decades.

As The Blast reported in December 2023, the “9 to 5” singer felt that having children had never been “a burning desire” for her and decided to focus on her growing country music career instead of settling down and starting a family.

"I haven't missed it like I thought I might. 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,” she said at the time. “I had my career and my music, and I was travelling."

She went on to say that if she had become a mother, she probably would have “stayed at home” with her children and “worried myself to death about them.” She also expressed hesitancy to bring children into the world with everything “going on.”

"With everything that's going on, I'd hate to be bringing a child into this world right now,” she explained. “I always say God didn't let me have children so that all kids could be mine."

Earlier that year, the “Jolene” singer explained that she and her husband worked very well together, even though they were very different people. "I think I've talked pretty much about everything through the years with Carl, and we're different people,” she explained. “But we just work so well together."

When pressed for more detail, Dolly added, "He's kind of a loner, so he doesn't really like being with anybody but me, when I'm home — I mean, he's not one to kind of get out there and socialize that much. He loves living on the farm, taking care of the property as he has for all these many years, and then, we just have a lot to talk about."

She also frequently praised his sense of humor as one of the qualities she loved the most about him. "We have a lot of love and respect for each other, and I think the key to all of it — we both have a crazy, warped sense of humor, so we have a lot of fun,” she said.

Although she was very private about their relationship, she did put her country music career on hold to care for her husband, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019. Throughout the years, he also struggled with high blood pressure and heart problems.

One insider who spoke to National Enquirer at the time said, "Dolly has long been a fixture on the touring circuit, but as her husband's health takes precedence, she has chosen to take a step back from the stage to focus on what matters most – family."

"She wants to make sure they enjoy every last minute they have together," the source added.

A 2022 report by the Closer indicated that she was “fiercely private” about his health struggles and tried to keep her husband out of the spotlight as best she could. A source revealed that the two were “not as active physically as they once were” as she focused on caring for him at home.

"Carl's not jumping in the car and ready for an adventure like he used to be," the insider shared. "It's called slowing down — he relies on Dolly and the staff more these days — but Dolly says it's better than the alternative."

In a separate interview, she admitted that she was hesitant to leave him at home alone out of fear that “something could happen” and she wouldn’t be there to help. “We're getting older now, and I don't want to be gone for four or five weeks at a time,” she said, adding, “Something could happen."

RIP Carl Dean.