Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Thomas Dean, dies at 82
Carl Thomas Dean, the husband of country music legend Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 82.
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Dolly Parton’s husband Carl Thomas Dean, who has died at age 82, helped birth one of the most iconic songs of her career.
The country music star, 79, has explained that her 1973 hit “Jolene,” in which she begs the beautiful title woman not to take her man, was inspired by a real bank teller’s interactions with her husband.
“She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Parton told NPR in 2008. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”
Parton told “60 Minutes Australia” this occurred after she and Dean first got married in 1966.
Watch Dolly Parton perform hit song ‘Jolene’
Lyrics to ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton sparked by young fan
The name Jolene, though, had a different origin. Parton revealed to NPR that she once signed an autograph for a “beautiful little” 8-year-old girl named Jolene, and the name stood out to her.
“She had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph,” Parton told NPR. “I said, ‘Well, you’re the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’ And I said, ‘Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.’ I said, ‘That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.’”
In the song, Parton sings that Jolene’s “beauty is beyond compare” and tells her, “I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man … Please don’t take him just because you can.””
‘Jolene’ covers, from Beyoncé to Miley Cyrus
Since its release in 1973, “Jolene” has been covered by numerous artists, from Miley Cyrus to The White Stripes.
Beyoncé’s 2024 album “Cowboy Carter” also included a cover of the track. Parton appeared on the album in an interlude prior to the “Jolene” cover, saying, “You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when. Except she has flaming locks of auburn hair.” But the Beyoncé version tweaked the lyrics to “Jolene,” including changing “I’m begging of you please don’t take my man” to “I’m warnin’ you, don’t come for my man.”
Parton reacted to the cover at the time by writing on Instagram, “Wow, I just heard ‘Jolene.’ Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!” She previously told Knox News that she and Beyoncé have “sent messages back and forth through the years,” adding, “I always thought she was great.”
Dolly Parton’s husband Carl Dean dies
Parton confirmed on Monday that Dean, who was notoriously private during his marriage to the singer, has died. The couple did not have any children together.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” Parton said in a statement. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Contributing: Liz Kellar, Knoxville News Sentinel
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