It was something the country music legend, who died at the age of 80 on Tuesday, August 25, was asked about repeatedly throughout her career.

And the answer was considerably more complicated than simply deciding that motherhood was not for her.

Parton revealed that she and Dean had actually imagined having a family when they were younger, even discussing what their children might look like and choosing a name for a potential daughter.

But as the years passed, their lives took a very different course.

Decades later, Parton spoke candidly about what had happened and why she ultimately came to believe that not having children had allowed her life to unfold exactly as it was supposed to.

The full explanation involved several deeply personal factors that emerged at different stages of her life.

Dolly Parton And Carl Dean Were Married For Nearly 60 Years

Parton met Dean in Nashville in 1964, shortly after the aspiring singer arrived in the city to pursue her music career. She was just 18 years old.

Their now-famous first meeting took place outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat.

Two years later, on May 30, 1966, the couple married in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.

Their lives would eventually look remarkably different.

Parton became one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, while Dean made a deliberate decision to stay almost completely outside of the spotlight.

He owned an asphalt-paving business and rarely accompanied his wife to celebrity events.

Parton repeatedly explained that Dean was a homebody who valued his privacy and independence, while remaining one of her biggest supporters behind the scenes.