How Dolly Parton Shaped One of NJ's Whitney Houston's Biggest Hits
- Following the death of music icon Dolly Parton on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, fans have revisited her catalog, centering on "I Will Always Love You," which evolved from a personal farewell into a global phenomenon.
- Parton wrote the song in 1973 as a heartfelt goodbye to mentor Porter Wagoner, aiming to express gratitude while asserting her independence as she launched a solo career.
- Elvis Presley nearly recorded the track, but Parton famously refused manager Colonel Tom Parker's demand for 50% of the song's publishing rights, protecting her copyright.
- Whitney Houston recorded the song for the 1992 film The Bodyguard, creating a wildly successful version that won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
- With more than 24 million copies sold worldwide and a Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association, the song remains an enduring testament to Parton's songwriting, crossing generations and genres.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Throughout her career, Dolly Parton never expected that one of her most famous songs would become part of the moment she realized that Whitney Houston was no more. When Houston passed away in 2012, the song "I Will Always Love You," which Parton had written decades earlier, was performed at her funeral. Parton stated that it was a difficult experience to hear the song at the funeral. "It broke me when I heard that song in those circumstances. I …
I Will Always Love You is one of those songs that, for many, is immediately linked to the voice of Whitney Houston. However, the song was born almost two decades before the American singer took it to the big screen and to international lists. Its author was Dolly Parton, who wrote it in 1973 as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, his partner and mentor.
Kevin Costner says goodbye to Dolly Parton and explains how "I Will Always Love You" became a world hit with Whitney Houston in Bodyguard.
Not everyone knows that Parton is behind the hit song. Take the poll at the end of the article and tell us what you think is the best song about heartbreak!
We measure the size of the feeling by the reach of his anguish and we become faithful to the pain of absence
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