Who has Dolly Parton dated? Fans wish country star as she turns 76

Dolly Parton had openly said that she has a soft spot for guys and enjoys flirting with them in a 2014 interview. The singer also joked that she had never met a man that she did not like. Despite these desires, the country star decided to be with only one man for more than 50 years - Carl Dean - whom she met when she came to Nashville to begin her singing career in 1964. They have been married for over 50 years but are rarely seen together because they prefer it that way. “He just don’t have any desire to be in show business,” Dolly told Playboy in October 1978. “He don’t want to have his picture in the paper. He don’t want to go out to the supermarket and have people say, ‘That’s Dolly Parton’s husband.'”

Dolly's alleged relationships with everyone from Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds to Judy Ogle, her secretary, and best friend, were fueled when she was married to Carl. Rumors about all these alleged affairs with her unnamed "lovers" had impacted Dolly's mental health and left her feeling heartbroken which openly spoke about in her book titled 'Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters With Dolly Parton'. She felt worse about these rumors and even contemplated suicide, “I was sitting upstairs in my bedroom one afternoon when I noticed in the nightstand drawer the gun that I keep for burglars. I looked at it a long time..Then, just as I picked it up, just to hold it and look at it for a moment, our little dog, Popeye, came running up the stairs,” Parton remembered. “The tap-tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality. I suddenly froze. I put the gun down. Then I prayed. I kinda believe Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God,” shared Dolly.

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Parton traveled to Nashville from her hometown Sevierville the day after graduating from high school to pursue her singing career. She ran into Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the next day. In a 1970 interview with The Tennesseean, she admitted, "I guess kind of in the back of my mind I was maybe flirtin' a little. But mainly I was just bein' friendly because I'd always been the kind of person who would speak back and smile." The two tied a knot after two years of knowing each other and since then, their relationship has withstood every problem. Be it her alleged affairs or her mental health, the couple has always understood each other and have never argued.

Carl Dean made a rare statement about his famous wife in May 2016 when the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. “My first thought was, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl'," he recounted his first meeting with Dolly Parton. “My second thought was, 'Lord, she’s good-lookin.' And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth,” he added.

Dolly's one and only lover, Carl along with other people who love her, gave her a positive outlook in life which has kept her healthy. Turning 76 has been a significant highlight for the icon, and many of her fans and followers have taken to Twitter to shower her with love and greetings on her birthday.