Dolly Parton wears a white long-sleeved shirt and speaks into a microphone.

Music

Dolly Parton Gave Carl Dean a Gold Record for a Prediction He Made About a Hit Song

Dolly Parton's husband Carl Dean has little to do with her music career. Still, he made an accurate prediction about one of her hit songs.

by Emma McKee

Published on August 14, 2023

2 min read

Dolly Parton said Carl Dean predicted one of her biggest hits

In 1977, Parton crossed over from the country charts to pop with the song “Here You Come Again.” It’s one of the few songs she’s released that she didn’t write. She also worried that her existing fan base would resent her for making a pop record.

Dean didn’t have the same concerns. While he had little to do with her career, he knew immediately that it would be a hit.

“Carl doesn’t get involved with my business decisions,” she wrote in her book Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business. “He trusts my judgment and knows that I’ve surrounded myself with good people. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an opinion, though. He’s always telling me that this or that song would be great for me or for somebody else. In fact, he loved the song ‘Here You Come Again.’ When he heard it, he said, ‘That’s a damn million-selling record you’ve got there.'”

He was right. The song became her first million-seller and earned her a valuable spot on the pop charts. To thank him for having faith in her, Parton got Dean a gold record with his name on it.

“So when it did become a hit, I had them make a gold record with his own name on it,” she wrote.

Dolly Parton said Carl Dean doesn’t like to be involved in her business decisions

While Dean occasionally makes suggestions for songs, he mostly stays out of Parton’s business.

“But however talented and opinionated Carl may be, he still doesn’t want the responsibility of making high-powered business decisions,” she wrote. “So that’s up to me.”

Dean stays so far out of Parton’s business that he doesn’t even attend events with her. While he is proud of the work she’s done, he values his privacy and quiet lifestyle. He’s managed to protect his peace over the course of Parton’s decades-long career; many fans don’t even know what he looks like.

She shared how they’ve maintained a successful relationship

According to Parton, her differences with Dean are what has allowed them to stay together. She doesn’t push him to join her in the spotlight, and he supports her creative endeavors.

“It works out well between me and Carl,” she wrote. “We both get what we really want. We both have the freedom to come and go and do as we please. Carl doesn’t really mind my being gone, unless I’m gone for more than two weeks at a time. Two weeks is just about my limit as well. After that we both get a little nuts and a little testy.”