Dolly Parton and husband Carl Dean have been married for 54 years, but they are rarely seen in public together. Here's a timeline of their relationship.

Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean.dollyparton/Instagram

• Dolly Parton and Carl Dean have been married for 54 years.
• Dean prefers to stay out of the spotlight, so much so that Parton has had to address conspiracy theories that he doesn't actually exist.
• She says the key to their lasting marriage is their independence.

Country music legend Dolly Parton has been married for 54 years, but her husband, Carl Dean, remains something of a mystery.

Dean, a retired businessman who operated an asphalt-laying company, is famous for, well, not being famous. He's only seen Parton perform a handful of times, and went to exactly one award show with her in 1966 before she says he told her, "'Dolly, I want you to have everything you want, and I'm happy for you, but don't you ever ask me to go to another one of them dang things again!'"

Still, Parton says he's one for romantic gestures like bringing her flowers and writing her poems.

Read on for a timeline of Parton and Dean's enduring love.