Dolly Parton has finally chosen to reveal a photo in which she appears holding hands with the man she has been married to for 55 years.

Aged 75, the country music artist has been married for over five decades to Carl Dean, the man who supported her all her life, but chose to remain in her shadow.

„Find a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does,” is Dolly’s message that accompanies this old family photo of her with Carl. The artist wears a red shirt, and her husband a T-shirt with Dolly’s face and name printed on it.

The two met at a car wash, when Dolly was only 18 years old and had just moved to Nashville. They got married in May 1966, and the man, now 79 years old, has never appeared in public with his famous wife. For this reason, many believed that it really does not exist.

„He is a calm and reserved person,” said Dolly, who tried to protect her husband from the media. „I didn’t choose this world, you did,” the man told him. „But we can keep our lives separate and be together. We have been together for 56 years and married for 54 years”.

As for the longevity of this marriage, Dolly joked that the secret was that she kept being away. „And there is a lot of truth in that, because we are not always face to face. But we have great respect and admiration for each other. We both have a great sense of humor. So we’re having a lot of fun.”

In 2016, on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their vows in a ceremony held in Tennessee.