Dolly Parton Dishes The Secret To Keeping Her Marriage Strong After 54 Years

In the entertainment industry, it’s rare to find a marriage that has stood the test of time. That’s what makes country music legend Dolly Parton’s marriage to her beloved husband Carl Dean so special, as the two have been married for an astounding 54 years! 

Dolly Parton’s Secret To Her Long-Lasting Marriage

In a recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, Parton revealed that her secret to her long-lasting marriage is that she is comfortable in her own skin.

“And that’s sexy,” she explained. “You may not want to dress or look like me, you can take from that to be yourself. I’m a very passionate person in everything that I do, and I think passion has great sex appeal. I think people are drawn to that because it’s a magic. It’s an energy.

“And I’ve always been a great lover because I’m passionate,” added Parton, 74. “I just feel my sensuality, my sexuality, my passion, and I don’t have to apologize for any of that. I’ve never been offensive in any way, never tried to be. Or I’ve never tried to be anything other than just what I am.”

Related: Dolly Parton Discusses Her Open Marriage And The ‘Affair’ That Left Her Feeling Suicidal

Dolly Parton Met Carl Dean When She Was 18

The “Jolene” singer went on to say that she met Carl Dean when she was 18, marrying him two years later.

This means that while they’ve been married for 54 years, the two have actually been together for 56. 

“My husband and I, we’ve been together 56 years,” said Parton, 74. 

“We still have our little times, like in the springtime when the first yellow daffodils come out. Even if there’s still some snow around it, my husband always brings me a bouquet. And he’ll usually write me a little poem. Which to me, that’s priceless. That’s like a date in itself.”

Related: Dolly Parton Stuns Fans: She’s In Talks To Pose For Playboy For Her 75th Birthday

Humble Beginnings

One of Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s first dates was at a McDonald’s. This just goes to show the humble, down-to-earth beginnings they come from.

These days, however, it’s Parton who does most of the cooking.

“I’ll cook the stuff that I know we love,” she said. “And I pack it up in a picnic basket. And then we’ll go find some riverbank somewhere with our little camper, park, have a picnic. Or we’ll pull up to some little Days Inn motel, go in as long as the bed’s clean and there’s a bathroom.”

“We just do our little things like that,” Parton added. “Or I’ll do a candlelight dinner. We don’t make an issue of it. It’s like certain days, you feel a certain way. And I’ll say, ‘I’m going to surprise him. And we’re going to have real cloth napkins and real crystal. I’m going to put the real china out instead of the paper plates we usually eat on because we don’t want to have to wash dishes.’”

We should all be so lucky to have a marriage like Dolly Parton. We wish her and Carl Dean have many years of happiness to come!