Meeting Carl Dean, the Love of Her Life

In 1964, Dolly Parton’s life took a fateful turn when she met Carl Dean at a Nashville laundromat on her first day in the city. At just 18 and fresh off the bus from her small town, Dolly was focused on kickstarting her music career.

Carl, a quiet, hard-working man, was immediately smitten. As the story goes, their connection is instant—Carl famously tells Dolly she will be his wife right then and there. Despite their differences—Dolly’s rising fame and Carl’s preference for a private life—the couple’s love endured, becoming one of the most enduring marriages in show business.