Dolly Parton Shares Rare Throwback of Husband Carl Thomas Dean in a Shirt with Her Face on It
Dolly Parton and husband Carl Thomas Dean have been married for 55 years, but he's still as big a fan of hers as ever.
The country superstar, 75, shared a rare throwback photo of Dean to her Instagram on Tuesday, one in which he's wearing a black T-shirt that appears to have Parton's first name and several photos of her digitally edited onto it.
"Find you a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does!" she captioned the image.
Parton — who is smiling as she holds Dean's hand in the photo — also shared the image to her Instagram Story, along with a link to her online shop where the shirt Dean is "wearing" is available for purchase.
The "Jolene" singer and Dean, who has long shunned the spotlight and never appears at public events with his wife, have been one of showbiz's most enduring love stories since they tied the knot in 1966 after meeting in a Nashville laundromat.
"When I met my husband, he wanted to take me out to dinner. He pulled up to the drive-in window and got our food at McDonald's," she told PEOPLE in 2018. "We know a few little places we can go without being bothered. He only likes to go places where he can be comfortable!"
Jason Kempin/Getty Dolly Parton
Parton was just 18 when they met, and previously told PEOPLE that she and Dean are "completely opposite, but that's what makes it fun."
"He's always supporting me as long as I don't try to drag him in on it," she said in 2019. "He's always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he's at home… He'd never come dragging around. I'd rather bring somebody else with me, you know? He's never jealous of that either."
The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2016 with a vow renewal.
When asked about the secret to her lasting relationship, Parton told PEOPLE that it seems absence makes the heart grow fonder.
"I always joke and laugh when people ask me what's the key to my long marriage and lasting love. I always say 'Stay gone!' and there's a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we're together and the little things we do."
