Dolly Parton has been married for almost 60 years and now the superstar has revealed the secrets of her long-lasting romance.
The hitmaker and her husband Carl Dean met at a laundromat in Nashville in 1964, and tied the knot two years later.
Speaking on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Thursday, Dolly, 77, was clear about why their marriage has lasted.
“We’ve been together for 59 years, we dated for two years, and then we celebrated our 57th anniversary on May 30,” she told Zoe.
‘But I think that’s mainly down to the fact that we’re honest and open and have a twisted sense of humour!’
Love and marriage: Dolly Parton has been married for almost 60 years and now the superstar has revealed the secrets of her long-lasting romance with Carl Dean
“He’s crazy, he’s so funny and smart. And I have a great sense of humor from both sides of my family, so I think the humor has always been good.”
She went on to say that mutual “love and respect” for each other has always been the foundation of their romance.
“There’s the respect and the love and I just like him!”
‘You know, I would have liked him if he wasn’t my husband, if he was someone else’s husband I say, “You know that Carl Dean, ain’t he funny? Ain’t he a good guy?”, so I think it’s just mutual respect and we just like each other.’
Dolly says that she values her husband’s opinion very much, but that he never gives her an honest answer ‘in a cruel way’.
“When I ask him if he likes my hair – ‘too stringy for me’ or ‘it looks too important’ – you know, if it’s too stiff… he always calls it this: ‘It looks too important matter’, but I know that if I ask him, he won’t just do it willingly, but if I ask him, he will tell me the truth.’
Zoe wanted to know what her very honest husband thought of her new album.
“To be honest, I was a little nervous,” Dolly admitted as she played it for him.
Ongoing: The hitmaker and her husband Carl Dean met in a Nashville laundromat in 1964, and tied the knot two years later
Icon: Dolly, 77, spoke on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Thursday and revealed why their marriage has survived
‘When I finished the whole album, he said, “It’s really good.” And to me, that would be like someone else jumping up and down and putting stars on the wall or something.”
“But for him to just say it’s good, that it’s really good, meant the world to me.”
The singer’s husband is known for staying out of the public eye, although she has shared several photos of him on her social media in the past.
Last October, the country icon shocked her fans when she announced her retirement from touring, saying, “I don’t think I’ll ever tour again.”
It came as a surprise to many, as she had once said that she would “rather die on stage” than retire.
Although the 77-year-old country music legend insists she will never completely give up her job, she has said Good cleaning that she does not want to leave her husband, who has been single for more than five decades, alone for any length of time.
The hitmaker, who recently spoke about her eclectic sense of style, told the media: ‘I’m not touring anymore. I have so many business things that I do. And my husband and I are getting older… and I kind of need to be with him.”