Dolly Parton’s Sister Shares Never-Before-Seen Photo Of Dolly And Husband Carl Dean

Freida Parton and her new husband pose for a photo with Dolly Parton and Carl Dean.(Photo credit: Freida Parton/Facebook)

Five months ago, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died at the age of 82.

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s marriage was a unique arrangement, and one that many in the entertainment industry coveted. While Dolly became one of the biggest stars in country music, her husband chose to live a life out of the spotlight.

Carl Dean became somewhat of a mystery as he was never seen in public with Dolly, didn’t attend her concerts or awards shows, and was seemingly content to cheer her on behind the scenes. Few pictures of Carl in his later years have been seen by the public, though a handful have been shared by Dolly from early in their marriage.

On Tuesday, August 5, Dolly’s younger sister, Freida, shared a rare photo of Carl in honor of the five month anniversary of his passing.

In a post made to Facebook, Freida shared a story about her brother-in-law along with a photo that she hadn’t shared before.

Freida shared that she married her first husband in a ceremony at Dolly and Carl’s Brentonwood home. She asked Carl to give her away. “He laughed and said, ‘I’ll be glad to,’” Freida recalled. Following the ceremony, Freida, her then-husband, Dolly, and Carl posed for a photo inside of the home. The photo not only shows a glowing Dolly and Carl, but is proof that Dolly’s love of pink runs deep.

Dolly looked stunning posing next to the bride in a pink dress. Behind her is a window adorned with bright pink curtains, and the carpet is covered in pink butterflies.

About Freida Parton

Freida Parton was the twin sister of Floyd. They were born eleven years after Dolly. Many of Dolly’s siblings were musical, and Freida is no exception. According to PEOPLE, she often sang backup vocals on Dolly’s albums, but veered from her family’s country roots with her own punk rock band.

Freida is an ordained minister who opened a wedding chapel in Sevierville, Tennessee, in 2014. She told the Knoxville News Sentinel that she wanted to open the chapel to “do something special.”
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“I love weddings and I love being a part of it because a little bit of that love falls on me. And if I can be a blessing to someone else, I’ve done my job,” Freida said at the time.