By Molly Goddard
7:53pm PST, Mar 5, 2025
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Despite the chart-topper's notoriety, Parton loved nesting with her man at their countryside mansion. "It may be sausage, biscuits and gravy, it may be just cereal and fruit, but with all she's done and all she's accomplished in her career, she feels most grounded when she can be the
housewife," a source close to the blonde beauty claimed.
"Her last big concert tour was in 2016 and she doubts she will ever launch another one of those big ones again," the insider added at the time. "She's still taking meetings, either about Dollywood or new projects, but she and Carl are spending more time together than ever in their marriage. After all these years, they are still learning new things about each other."
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Parton could be creative and live a low-key life in the seclusion of the couple's home outside of Nashville, which they purchased in 1999.
"When my husband, Carl, and I bought our first house, there was a den and a big
fireplace," the "Jolene" singer said in an interview. "I would sit for hours in that little room and write songs and play."
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When Parton wasn't wrapped up in the
music industry, she and Dean often took little trips together. "I like to get
down to it. I guess that's because I grew up on tour buses," the musician explained in an interview.
"We'll go from East Tennessee — the mountains — to West Tennessee, which is flat as a board. They play to different moods and we love them both," she added.
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While on the road, Parton and her partner loved indulging in life's simple things. "We like staying in cheap hotels — heck, if I can sneak into a Days Inn, I'm there," she admitted.
"You don't need to be fancy to travel well. You just need to be curious and willing," the
9 to 5 actress explained while noting their favorite eateries were Cracker Barrel and Taco Bell.
"I love their tacos," she noted. "They also have little
pizzas that I love."
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"My husband and I pull off the road to look at any old antique store," Parton added of their adventures. "I blow in there, fly into the room and get something wonderful that says I've been there."
The "Here You Come Again" vocalist's family loved and supported Parton's union with Dean. "Carl is very introverted," Dolly's sister
Stella Parton said in an interview of the ultra-private man. "He comes to every wedding of every child and grandchild, every funeral. If anyone is sick and in the hospital, he always goes."
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Despite their vastly difference
lifestyles, Dolly and Carl maintained a harmonious and loving relationship throughout the years.
"I know every line in his face and he knows every hair in my wig. [He's] not particularly [a fan of my songs], but he loves me," Dolly explained. "I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we're together."
