Dolly Parton is mourning the loss of her husband Carl Dean, who died at the age of 82 earlier this week. The country singer announced her husband’s death in the early hours of Tuesday morning, saying: “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”

Dolly’s younger sister Stella has now shared an update on behalf of the singer’s family. She shared on X/Twitter: “On behalf of my sister Dolly, our family and Carl’s family we appreciate your prayers at this time.” The Islands in the Stream singer announced her beloved spouse’s death via a statement on social media. She shared: “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 announced that Carl would be remembered in a private funeral service with only immediate family present. The family also asked for their privacy during this time and did not disclose the cause of death.

Dean, who ran an asphalt paving company in Nashville, Tennessee, was also the inspiration for Parton’s iconic song, Jolene.

Explaining the 1973 hit’s origins, Dolly recounted to NPR in 2008: “[A woman] got this terrible crush on my husband and he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention.

“It was kinda like a running joke between us – when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money’. So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”

Parton met Dean by chance outside a laundromat in 1964 when she was just 18. They exchanged vows two years later, in 1966, in a modest ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.

Parton reminisced about their first encounter in a 2008 interview: “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”

The celebrated couple marked their golden 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. The star excitedly revealed to People magazine: “We’re going to get married again!”

She anticipated the event, saying: “I’ll have a beautiful wedding dress, ’cause I didn’t have a big, long wedding dress when we got married and we’ve got a suit for him, so we’re going to dress up and take a bunch of pictures.”

Despite the public celebration, the pair have maintained an intensely private life together.

Parton once addressed the mystique surrounding her husband in a 1984 interview with the Associated Press: “A lot of people say there’s no Carl Dean, that he’s just somebody I made up to keep other people off me.”

In a 2019 chat with People magazine, Parton described Dean as her “biggest fan”. She said, “He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it. He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home.”