Growing up in a one-room cabin in Pittman, Tennessee, Dolly Parton headed for the bright lights of Nashville at age 18. As fate would have it, she would find the love of her life on her very first day there. After meeting Carl Dean, then 21, at the Wishy Washy Laundromat, the pair married two years later in Ringgold, Georgia. They remained steadfastly in love (and fiercely private) for nearly 60 years until Dean’s death on March 3 at age 82. Now, one of the places where they shared that love is back on the market.
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Dolly Parton’s Former Home Is “As Iconic as the Legend Herself”
Living primarily on an expansive Nashville estate, Dolly Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, also owned a remote mountainside cabin in Idyllwild, California. Believed to have purchased the property in December 1994 for just $126,000, Dolly donated the cabin to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California in November 2023.
In July 2024, the charity sold the home for $585,00. Just eight months later, it has returned to the market, this time for $768,000.
“If walls could sing, this charming 3-story mountain retreat would be belting out a country classic,” the real estate listing reads. It goes on to call the cabin “as warm, inviting, and full of personality as the Queen of Country herself.”
If you’ve ever wondered what Dolly would be like as a roommate, owning this cabin is likely the closest you’ll ever come to finding out. Nearly everything inside remains exactly as the “Jolene” singer, 79, left it.
“Dolly and her beloved mother were the last to occupy this home, leaving behind dcor, collectibles, and furnishings, all included in the sale,” the listing reads. “Legend has it that the spacious loft complete with three adorable built-in beds and sleeps five was Dolly’s favorite place to write and play her music.”
Reba McEntire Recalls Her First-Ever Dolly Encounter
Last Wednesday, Reba McEntire helped lead a heartwarming tribute to Dolly Parton during the Grand Ole Opry 100: A Live Celebration special. Ahead of the landmark event, the “Fancy” singer, 69, reflected on the first time her path ever crossed with Dolly’s. Fittingly, that night was also Reba’s first-ever performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
“I walked in and they said, ‘We’re going to cut you back to one song, because Dolly just rolled into the parking lot and we’re gonna give her one of your songs,’” Reba told WSM Radio. “I said, ‘OK. Can I meet her?’ I didn’t get to meet her but she did walk right in front of me.”
