"I had freedom" — When Dolly Parton opened up about not having children with late husband Carl Dean

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's spouse and her lifelong partner, died at the age of 82. The 78-year-old country music icon released a touching note on social media on Monday, March 3, announcing his passing. She had been long open about it, saying, "I had freedom." She frequently attributed this choice to allowing her the flexibility to devote herself entirely to her profession, philanthropy, and music.

For Dean, it was love at first sight. Carl Dean and Dolly Parton had met outside Nashville's Wishy Washy Laundromat in 1964. He subsequently remembered,

“My first thought was, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl.’ My second thought was, ‘Lord, she’s good looking.’”

Two years later, they got married in a private ceremony in Georgia.

Dean stayed out of the spotlight and preferred to live quietly despite Parton's enormous success. The two had a close relationship that lasted for almost 60 years, and Parton frequently called him her biggest ally.

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Why Dolly Parton and Carl Dean chose not to have kids

Dolly Parton has been questioned a lot over the years why she and Dean never had any kids. She discussed the subject in several interviews, saying that although they had given it some thought, they eventually decided that their lives were complete without children.

She revealed in a 2020 edition of The Oprah Conversation, saying:

“Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom. So, I think a big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work.”

She also discussed how this choice will affect her legacy.

She mentioned her foundation, which has given millions of books to kids all across the world, and said,

“I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library,”

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They once considered naming their daughter "Carla"

Even though the couple decided against having children in the end, they had fantasized about what parenthood might be like. Parton stated in a 2014 interview with The Guardian that they intended to give their daughter, if they had one, the name Carla.

She remembered,

“My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, ‘What would they look like? Would they be tall because he’s tall? Or would they be little squats like me?’”

But as their lives progressed, they came to the realization that they were happy without kids. Dolly Parton said,

“We talked about it, and we dreamed it, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now that we’re older? We’re glad.”

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Carl Dean's passing

Dean passed away at the age of 82 in Nashville on March 3. This was announced through Dolly Parton's social media accounts. His funeral would be a private ceremony, with only close family attending.

She shared a message through the post,

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy. The family asks for privacy during this difficult time.”