Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were prepared to be parents if it happened. Early in their marriage, the songstress and her husband made plans for children and were open to the possibility. In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, the “Jolene” singer revealed she and Dean had even picked out a name in case they ever had a daughter.
Parton and Dean ultimately never had children, which she grew to accept. In their younger days, though, the pair “dreamed” and “talked” about parenthood. Their conversations led to Parton and Dean deciding upon a potential name if their child had been a daughter.
Dolly Parton And Carl Dean Had Settled On A Daughter Name Early In Their Marriage
In The Guardian interview, the “9 to 5” star said she still wondered what being a parent might have been like. However, she also reiterated that she was “glad” that it didn’t happen. According to the legendary musician, she had made peace with it long ago. Still, Parton and Dean had finalized a name.
“You always wonder,” she said to the outlet. “My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, what would they look like? Would they be tall because he’s tall? Or would they be little squats like me?”
“If we’d had a girl, she was gonna be called Carla,” Parton added. “Anyway, we talked about it, and we dreamed it, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now that we’re older? We’re glad.”
Celebrities are known for picking out outrageous or unusual names, but Parton and Dean appeared to have settled on a perfectly normal one. The multi-time Grammy winner said she would have been a “great mother” and likely stepped back from her career to focus on motherhood. It is for this reason she believed it “wasn’t to be.”
Dolly Parton Accepted That ‘God Didn’t Mean’ For Her To Have Children
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were married from 1966 to 2025. The singer’s husband passed away at the age of 82, completing a 58-year union with the celebrated songstress. In a 2020 interview with Oprah Winfrey for “The Oprah Conversation,” Parton credited her success because she could dedicate her efforts to her career.
Parton categorized herself and Dean as independent people who enjoyed having the freedom to pursue their interests. While they weren’t opposed to having children, they didn’t regret being childless either. Faith was a big part of Parton’s life, and the singer said she believed it just wasn’t meant for her.
“I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library, because if I hadn’t had the freedom to work,” Parton said to Oprah Winfrey, “I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done. I wouldn’t be in a position to do all of the things I’m doing now.”
Speaking to Interview Magazine in 2012, Dolly Parton had another positive spin on motherhood. According to the “Jolene” star, she saw herself as a parental figure to her family and friends. When asked by the outlet why she didn’t have children, she admitted she “couldn’t” and had “tried.”
“When I was a girl and fooling around, I was scared to death I’d get pregnant, and then when I got married and wanted to have children, I couldn’t have any. But I don’t miss it. I did for a while, but I realize that I am everybody’s mother.”
