Country music legend Dolly Parton and her late husband, Carl Dean, made a conscious decision not to have children during their nearly six-decade marriage. Parton, who passed away Tuesday at 80, spoke candidly over the years about this choice, which she maintained was a joint one with Dean, who died in March 2025 at 82.
In a 1980 interview coinciding with the premiere of her film "9 to 5," Parton expressed uncertainty about motherhood, stating, "I don't know that I want a child." This sentiment stemmed partly from her experience growing up in a large family of 12 children, where she helped raise many of her younger siblings.
"My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, what would they look like?" Parton recalled in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. "We talked about it and we dreamed it, but it wasn’t meant to be."
Parton underwent a partial hysterectomy in 1985 at age 38 due to endometriosis, which rendered her unable to have children. She later told Rolling Stone in 2003 that neither she nor Dean regretted their decision. "The older we get, the gladder we are that we don't have them now, because we take care of a lot of other people's kids," she said, noting their support for nieces and nephews. "We buy new cars for all the nieces and nephews that graduate, we send any to college that want to go."
In the same 2014 interview, Parton reflected on how her life might have unfolded differently had they had children. "Everything would have changed," she stated. "I probably wouldn’t have been a star." She believed that her career and success were intrinsically linked to the freedom she had as someone without children to raise.
Parton also suggested that a higher powers played a role in their path. Appearing on "Today" in 2017, she said, "God has a plan for everything. I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine — and they are now."
This philosophy was exemplified by her Imagination Library, launched in 1995, which provides free books to children from birth to age five. The program has gifted over 332 million books globally. Parton saw this initiative as a way to nurture children, stating in a 2020 interview with Oprah Winfrey that her freedom to work allowed her to achieve such endeavors.
Parton's death was announced by her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, who noted her impact on generations of artists and her ability to inspire fans. She will be laid to rest beside Dean, reportedly in her signature high heels. A small, private service for immediate family is planned.