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In 1996, the 20-year-old Dolly Parton married her boyfriend, a guy named Carl Dean. At the time, Parton was only just beginning her songwriting career. A year later, she found her first taste of fame, joining country star Porter Wagoner on his syndicated TV show. As Parton rocketed to stardom, she and Dean stayed together. He kept out of the spotlight and barely had any public profile, but she always spoke glowingly of him in interviews. (Parton’s very silly 2023 album ROCKSTAR was apparently her gift to him, since he loved ’70s rock.) Earlier this week, Parton announced that Carl Dean had passed away at the age of 83. Now, she’s shared a song that she wrote for him.
