Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, dies at 82
What's the story
Carl Thomas Dean, the husband of country music legend Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 82.
Dean, who lived an intensely private life, was rarely seen in public with his wife since their marriage in 1966.
Parton shared the news of his death on Instagram on Tuesday (IST).
Tribute
Parton paid tribute to Dean on Instagram
Parton shared a heartfelt tribute to her late husband on Instagram. She wrote, "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years."
The cause of Dean's death was not immediately disclosed.
He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by immediate family members.
Early years
Dean's early life and meeting with Parton
Dean was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1942 to parents Virginia "Ginny" Bates Dean and Edgar "Ed" Henry Dean.
He was very close to his grandmother, Minnie Bates.
His first meeting with Parton was outside a laundromat in 1964 when she was 18 and had just moved to Nashville to follow her music dreams.
Love story
Dean and Parton's love story and marriage
Dean was smitten with Parton since the first time he met her.
In a rare public statement to Entertainment Tonight in 2016, he said, "My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl,' My second thought was, 'Lord she's good-looking.' And that was the day my life began."
The couple got married in Ringgold, Georgia, in 1966 with just her mother and the pastor and his wife as witnesses.
Supportive spouse
Dean's support for Parton's career and personal life
Despite Parton's growing fame in the late 1960s, Dean stayed supportive and kept a low profile. He concentrated on his asphalt business as Parton chased her music career.
Their relationship was kept away from her work life, with Parton saying in a 1977 PEOPLE interview that their bond was "so sweet and good" she never wanted it to get entangled with her professional life.