Dolly Parton has always wanted to keep her marriage private.

Dolly Parton has always wanted to keep her marriage private

Dolly Parton has always wanted to keep her marriage private

The 78-year-old country music legend has been married to Carl Thomas Dean, 82, since 1966 and despite her huge career in entertainment, he has remained largely out of the public eye and she believes their longevity is because they have "always enjoyed" being with each other.

She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "My husband and I have always enjoyed each other. I love to do stuff with him; we have a little RV and like to travel around, especially in Tennessee – we love to get out just for the weekend or day trips. We've been all over the country in it.

"He's never liked going out to dinner and all that stuff. And although I love to go out with friends to a nice dinner and have fun, it just felt natural to me to keep my life private."

The 'Jolene' hitmaker grew up as one of 12 siblings in rural Tennessee and while she has no children of her own, the family is still as "tight-knit" as ever and she loves being able to throw gatherings for them at her large house.

She said: "We're a tight-knit family and like to have fun. I have a big house – and several big tables - and in my house we can entertain anywhere.."

Meanwhile, the '9 to 5' star has recently branched out into the wine business with the launch of her Dolly Wines company and noted how she has “learned a lot about" viticulture in the process.

She said: "I identify with the sparkling wine! I'm learning a lot about wine now that I'm in the wine business. They're trying to teach me how to be a little more of a connoisseur than I am. The prosecco is made in Italy, the rose is from France. For years people were telling me I should have my own wine, and I guess my music has led me to a place where I could. I'm very proud and excited about it."

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