Dolly Parton Dished Secrets About Husband Carl Dean to ‘Dolly: A True Original Musical’ Cast [Exclusive]

Dolly Parton has been spending a lot of time with the cast of her new musical, Dolly: A True Original Musical, and she has even opened up to them about her private life.

Carrie St. Louis, who plays a version of Parton in the new musical (opening in Nashville on Aug. 8), stopped by the Taste of Country Nights studio to talk all things Dolly.

St. Louis got to spend nearly every single day with Parton as they were rehearsing — until one day the legend didn't show up.

"She wasn't at rehearsal, which is kind of unlike her, but I was like, 'She probably has a hundred million other things going on,'" the actress recalls.

Then, the cast received a letter from Parton herself.

"She wrote a letter to the cast apologizing for not being there, on the day that her husband passed away," St. Louis tells Taste of Country.

When Did Dolly Parton's Husband Die?

Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, died on March 3, 2025.

"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy," Parton told fans via social media at the time.

The next day, Parton was back on the set of Dolly: A True Original Musical, St. Louis says.

"The next day, she was there — I'm doing some scenes where it's ... they're meeting for the first time. That was a heartbreaking week," she remembers.

In the days following Carl Dean's death, Parton opened up to the cast about her love, including details that were not known to the public.

She wanted to give them more insight into who Carl was as a person — he was notoriously private and out of the spotlight — so they could better emulate her relationship with her husband in the musical.

Parton apparently told the cast, "'He was so shy but he was so funny.'"

St. Louis had to keep most details to herself, since they'll be revealed in the musical.

"That's something that's really special about the musical, is that she's sharing a little bit more of their relationship," she explains.

So, since it has been overseen by Dolly herself, Dolly: A Truly Original Musical is as authentic as it gets.

Where Can I See 'Dolly: A True Original Musical'?

The musical opens on Aug. 8 at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. It will head to Broadway next.

How Long Were Carl Dean + Dolly Parton Married?

Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were married for 58 years.

They met almost as soon as Parton arrived in Nashville in 1964, when they were both standing outside of a laundromat and struck up a conversation that would last almost six decades.