New, never-before-seen photos of Dolly Parton playfully posing with her rarely seen husband, the late Carl Dean, have been unveiled at her Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville, TN. Carl died 17 months before Dolly, after an undisclosed illness.
In the previously unseen snaps, Dolly and Carl are clearly very young and look to be posing in a photo booth. A notable detail is Dolly’s short, bare fingernails. The singer was very rarely seen without her trademark glamorous acrylics. She was also very rarely seen exposing her arms, which she does in these photos.
The Life of Many Colors Museum is located on the third floor of Dolly’s SongTeller hotel, which officially opened to the public on Tuesday, September 29, after a soft opening phase that began on September 14.
Dolly married Carl on May 30, 1966, after two years of dating. She has shared in interviews that Carl got her attention by making playful comment that might have been “you’re gonna get a sunburn out here” while she was doing her laundry at the Wishy Washy Laundromat on her very first day in Nashville.
The “Jolene” singer moved to the music hub the day after she graduated from Sevier County High School in May 1964.
Dolly Parton Once Told Barbara Walters She Appreciated Her Husband Carl for Giving Her ‘Freedom’
During the now-infamous 1977 interview in which Barbara Walters mercilessly grilled Dolly about her looks, socioeconomic background, and personal life, the tough journalist asked at one point, “Listen, tell me about this marriage of yours. This man whom nobody ever seems to see.”
Walters went on to tell Dolly she’d heard Carl was in town, but nobody had seen him, before questioning, “You don’t see him very much. You’re on the road most of the time. You’ve said, ‘I know that this marriage will always last. This man gives me everything I need.’ How do you know?”
Dolly, who was around 31 at the time, replied, “Well, I need freedom. The man gives me freedom.” Walters then countered, “So why get married?” to which Dolly shot back, “Well, why not?”
The country crooner continued, “But he has the same freedom.” She then spoke of the importance of finding “a person that you can be happy with that can accept you the way you are and can share the things and the plans for the future, and to enjoy your home.” She assured Walters, “We have our foundation. We have our roots. We have all the things that everybody’s looking for, and that’s happiness in a marriage.”
Inside Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel
The Instagram account for the SongTeller hotel has been sharing photos from inside the building, and it looks beautifully luxurious.
Located at the top of the hotel is Jolene’s, a ritzy cocktail bar with skyline views.
Parton’s Live is a live music and entertainment venue located on the second floor. Some of the acts booked to take the stage in the near future are the country/indie duo Karlie & James, and “American Idol” season 5 winner Taylor Hicks.
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SEE: Never-Before-Seen Photos of Dolly Parton & Her Elusive Husband Carl Dean Debut at Museum