Dolly Parton's famously private marriage to Carl Dean for nearly 60 years is one for the ages. Despite the couple making almost no public appearances together, they remain industry sweethearts.
The singer, 78, has occasionally spoken about her husband, 82, who eschews the spotlight for a much quieter life at home with their family.
In a new conversation with Bunnie Xo on her podcast Dumb Blonde, Dolly shed some light on her limelight-averse husband and their marriage, which includes finding joy in the simpler things in life.
While Carl is extremely private, Dolly stated that she loved him "like he is," and he's equally as beloved by the people around him in their inner circle. "Everybody loves Carl."
"He don't want me to tell the world nothing about Carl, so there you go. I can talk what I want to, but he'll say, 'Just leave me out the whole damn thing,'" she joked.
Dolly shared his reaction to finally attending an awards show with her back in 1967, just a year after their marriage, and it shed some light on his disdain for the public eye.
"He loves music, but he's not the least bit interested in being in it. And he told me that right up front," she detailed, recalling a music event she convinced him to attend. "I rented him a tux and, you know, I begged him to go, and he did. And, oh, he was so uncomfortable the whole night."
The "I Will Always Love You" songstress remembered him pulling off his clothing as soon as they got back home and explaining to her that he had no intention of going to another public event.
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"He said, 'Look, now I want you to do everything you want to do, and I wish you the best, but don't ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain't going.' And he never did."
She emphasized her own understanding of the situation. "So we just kinda have that respect, and I respected that because I didn't know he was gonna be that uneasy, but he doesn't even like to go out to, you know, to big dinners or anything like that."
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That treatment even extends to special occasions, she revealed, adding that for celebrations like birthdays or anniversaries, they prefer to stay home or have more low-key days out. "Even on anniversaries and stuff like that, we usually stay home and make something special."
© Getty ImagesShe added that they'll often go to spots they deem "comfortable" like a McDonald's or a Mexican restaurant, saying: "He loves Mexican food, period. But we go, we'll go sit in a booth, if it's an anniversary or just sometimes on a Saturday. We know where to go before the crowd comes. He doesn't like big crowds."
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Dolly, who is famously a work horse, did confess recently at the CMA Fest in Nashville that the only reason that she would take a step back from her multifaceted career would be if her or her husband's health necessitated it.
© Getty Images"I've always said that if my husband was in ill health or needed me, I would most definitely pull way back," she explained per Entertainment Tonight. "I'll always be doing something, but I may pull back a little bit here and there, now and then."
