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Dolly and Carl Dean have enjoyed 50 years of wedded bliss despite facing many of life's obstacles common to most married couples and plenty of unique challenges all their own.
They met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville, TN, on the first day Dolly moved to Music City. Falling in love and getting married were, perhaps, the last things on young Dolly Parton's mind. Yet, here was a tall, dark and handsome man who swept her off her feet. She said,
"I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about."
Two years after that fateful meeting, Dolly and Carl were married on May 30, 1966. It was Memorial Day, Dolly and Carl traveled to Ringgold, GA, with her mother. They had a simple, private ceremony with only Avie Lee, the preacher and his wife in attendance. Since that day, Dolly and Carl have lived happily-ever-after for 50 years. They've loved and supported each other while respecting each other's independence.
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Their 50 years of happiness is a true testament to their parents, Avie Lee and Robert Lee Parton and Carl’s mother and father, Virginia "Ginny" Bates Dean and Edgar “Ed” Henry Dean. The Parton's had 12 children and the Dean's had three. Dolly fondly referred to Ginny as Mama Dean and says she was her best friend.
Nearly every aspect of Dolly and Carl's personalities compliment one another. While one would think Dolly would be the most entertaining of the two, she often says that it's Carl's unique sense of humor which keeps her laughing. Given Dolly's larger-than-life outlook on everything, it makes perfect sense that her one-and-only would be equally as special in every way.
Dolly's wedding dress and Carl's suit will be on display at Dolly’s Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood beginning July 1.
Since she has no plans of slowing down, what has worked for Dolly and Carl for the past 50 years is sure to carry them through the next.
Dolly penned her heartfelt emotions for Carl in the words of her song, "From Here to the Moon and Back."
"From here to the moon and back
Who else in this world will love you like that?
Love everlasting, I promise you that
From here to the moon and back"
Dolly Parton is lending her distinctive voice to play a singing chicken called Noleen for a special episode in the second season of Sixteen South’s award-winning preschool animation series "Lily's Driftwood Bay."
The show is about a little girl named Lily, played by Orlagh O’Keeke, who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach. In Dolly’s special double-length episode, “The Salty Chicken,” Dolly voices Noleen, a famous singing chicken whose luxury yacht gets beached on Driftwood Bay during a storm, much to the surprise of her greatest – and rather star struck fan, Lord Stag (Stephen Fry). An impromptu concert sees old sea dog Salty (Peter Mullan) duet with Noleen, who’s astonished by his talent and tries to persuade him to come on tour with her. Will she persuade Salty to give up the sights and sounds of Driftwood Bay for an international singing career…? Dolly said,
“I’ve never played a chicken before but I have been known to lay a few eggs! Noleen is a very famous chicken, probably one of the most famous chickens ever there was. She washes up on Driftwood Bay and she’s trying to get Salty to go with her on tour. Now whether he does or whether he doesn’t, you’ll just have to watch and see!”
"Lily’s Driftwood Bay" starts on Nick Jr. in the UK on June 6 and Sprout in the US on June 27. Dolly's episode is scheduled to air in 2017. Sound Biscuit Productions in Sevierville, TN hosted Dolly's recording session for "Lily's Driftwood Bay."
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Photography - Jacob Dean DF Productions
A beautifully crafted series about making fun and adventure from things that you find, "Lily’s Driftwood Bay" is produced by Sixteen South ("Claude," "Pajanimals," "Big and Small") and co-produced with KiKA - Der Kinderkanal of ARD & ZDF/Germany, featuring characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach. The series is supported by some production funding from Northern Ireland Screen.
