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Dolly Parton’s husband is a mystery to fans and the media. He has only been seen a few times. However, one thing that’s clear is his love for the country music singer. Parton sometimes talks about their interactions. One interesting piece of information she once shared is that Dean buys Parton “sexy underwear.” Here’s what she said about her husband.

Dolly Parton loves spending time with Carl Dean

Dolly Parton smiles while wearing a pink dress.
Dolly Parton | Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Parton says her husband has made her “one happy country girl.” She and Dean spend time together when they can. In her book Songteller, Parton talks about the things she loves doing with her husband. She reveals many of the songs she released on her album Pure & Simple were inspired by her marriage. A lot of the songs were about their relationship. “Say Forever You’ll Be Mine” is one of the early songs Parton wrote about her and Dean. This song was written during their first year of marriage.

Parton says she and Dean have stayed married so long because they have a lot of respect for each other. She also says they trust each other and laugh a lot. For Parton, laughter has been one of the best parts of their marriage. She says they do these funny “routines” with each other that would make anyone watching “roll on the floor.”

Dolly Parton says her husband buys her ‘sexy underwear’

Dolly Parton smiles while wearing a jeweled dress and sitting in front of a bouquet of flowers.
Dolly Parton | Getty Images/Getty Images for ACM

During a 1981 interview with Ladies’ Home Journal, Parton discusses her relationship with her husband. She reveals that Dean likes to buy her “sexy underwear.” She says he likes her best when she wears hot pants. “Carl also buys me sexy underwear, and for some reason, he loves me in hot pants, especially when I lose weight,” says Parton. “He’ll say, now go put on them hot pants…”

Apparently, Dean also likes Parton in her Playboy outfit. She recreated her 1978 Playboy cover for her husband’s birthday. She revealed on Instagram that he hasn’t been feeling well, so she wanted to do something that would lift his spirits.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m dressed like this,” says Parton on Instagram. “Well, it’s for my husband’s birthday. Remember some time back I said I was gonna pose on Playboy magazine when I’m 75? Well, I’m 75 and they don’t have a magazine anymore, but my husband always loved the original cover of Playboy.”

Parton adds that her husband still thinks she’s “a hot chick” after more than five decades of marriage. She says she’s not going to “try to talk him out of it,” and she’s going to just embrace that her spouse still loves the way she looks.  

Dolly Parton’s husband is a private person

Dean tends to shy away from the spotlight. Parton says her husband likes to keep to himself and prefers not to attend events with her. According to the country singer, Dean “has always stayed away from my professional life.” Parton says Dean’s absence has caused some people to conclude he doesn’t really exist and that she made her spouse up.

When people tell Parton they never see her husband, she tells them they have seen him. She reveals Dean was on the cover of her album My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy.

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