Dolly Parton Turns 77: She Still Enjoys Time with 'Supportive' Husband Who Had Not Been Seen in 40 Years

• Dolly Parton turns 77!

• Even after 57 years, she and her husband still enjoy each other.

• It was love at first sight!

Country music legend Dolly Parton has been charming to people with her easy smile and sharp wit since she exploded onto the music scene in the 60s and 70s. She became a household name with her eclectic outfits and distinguishable voice.

She and her husband have also enjoyed a long and happy marriage atypical of Hollywood relationships. She is celebrating her seventy-seventh birthday and is more content than ever.

Now 77-year-old Dolly and her husband, Carl Dean, met at a laundromat 57 years ago. He said when he saw her at Wishy Washy Laundromat, he knew he would marry her. He also acknowledged how attractive she was. Carl said:

"And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth."

Many people did not even know that Dolly was married because her husband was press-shy. Dolly has described him as "a loner" and jokes that he doesn't want to be around anybody but her and asks her to leave him out of her Hollywood life.

Dolly confirmed that her husband does not enjoy the lights and cameras that often surround his wife and would instead support her from afar. Make no mistake — the couple is still very much in love.

Once describing how her relationship has lasted so long and what her "supportive" husband means to her, Dolly gushed:

"He's like a brother and a father and a friend and a husband and a lover — all of those things to me. I think he's proud that we've been in it this long."

Dolly Still Likes to Watch Films and Laugh with Her Ailing Husband

In January 2020, Carl was seen out near his family estate in Tennessee. He was accompanied by an assistant, who appeared to be helping him complete the activities he was out to do. This was the first time in 40 years he had been seen.

Carl is notoriously reclusive and has remained largely under the radar despite his wife's enormous fame. Carl and Dolly have no children and instead enjoy spending their time together doing activities they enjoy.

One of the things they enjoy doing is taking RV trips across the United States together. It is a quiet way for the pair to bond. It is then that Dolly can strip back her makeup, hair, and fancy clothes and just be herself.

Doing this allows Dolly to walk around almost unnoticed by fans because she looks so different without her makeup and hair done. Talking about these trips, Dolly said:

"Carl is great, and we get along great and have a lot of fun together."

However, now that Carl has fallen ill, their idea of fun has changed somewhat. Carl is suffering high blood pressure and a weak heart, leading to the couple scaling back on their physical activities.

A source close to the couple mentioned that while Carl is less eager to tour America than he once was, Dolly is happy to spend time at home with him and says it's better than not having him around at all.

Dolly confessed that she is not doing as many shows now because while she's aging, so is her husband, and she doesn't want to be gone for long periods because something might happen in her absence.

Now, Dolly prefers to stay at home with her husband and cook for him. She also enjoys watching movies with him. Over the holiday season, a source said that they might have company on Christmas Eve and then confirmed:

"Then they'll spend Christmas Day at home — just the two of them. And that's just fine with Dolly."

While her husband has been ill, Dolly has been leaning on her faith and confirmed that her faith and music helped her get through the difficult times. She fiercely protects Carl and keeps his life private, as he likes it.

Dolly Parton Still Cooks Breakfast For Her Husband

Dolly has talked about her morning routine, giving fans some insight into how she starts her day. She joked that while most others are still dozing away, she has completed most of her daily tasks, including cooking a southern-style breakfast.

The singer said she's an early riser and although she goes to bed early, if she can't sleep, she'll get up and work and then lay down for a while before getting up for good in the mornings. She said she knows how much work she has to do and does it at all hours.

Each morning, she and Carl eat breakfast together, and she enjoys making him breakfast of sausages, biscuits, and gravy, although she says she can't always eat that way. A beautiful couple indeed!