Parton says she was based on a real person who got a little too close to her real-life husband, Carl Dean. In 2008, the ...

“Jolene.” Parton told NPR in 2008 that she wrote the song about a flirty bank teller who seemed to take an interest in Dean. “She got this terrible crush on my husband,” she said.

Dolly Parton's famed ballad, "Jolene," was "loosely based on a little bit of truth" by a woman who had a crush on the singer's late husband, Carl Dean. Dean's death was announced by the singer on ...

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband for nearly 60 years and the man whose flirting inspired her classic hit "Jolene," has died. He was 82. Parton announced the news today in an Instagram post.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit "Jolene," died Monday. He was 82. According to a statement provided to The ...

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit “Jolene,” died Monday. He was 82. According to a statement provided to ...