ATLANTA — While it became one of Whitney Houston’s signature songs, Dolly Parton was the one who wrote and performed “I Will Always Love You.”
Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80.
Parton first released the song in 1974, eight years after she secretly married Carl Dean in Ringgold, Georgia.
It was so popular that it caught the attention of Elvis Presley, who wanted to record the song for himself.
“I got the word that he was going to record it, and I was so excited,” Parton told CMT in 2006. “I told everybody I knew, ‘Elvis is going to record my song. You’re not going to believe who’s recording my song.’”
She got a call from Presley’s manager who said not only did he want to record it, but Elvis also wanted half of the song’s publishing, which guaranteed Presley a 50% cut of song royalties for as long as he owned the rights.
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She politely declined the offer.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the publishing.’ I wanted to hear Elvis sing it, and it broke my heart—I cried all night. But I had to keep that copyright in my pocket,” Parton said. “These are my songs—they’re like my children.”
Parton remained very protective of the song throughout her long music career.
Dolly made it a No. 1 hit twice: once when it was initially released and again when she re-recorded it in 1982.
But when Whitney Houston asked to sing the song, Parton knew she was the right one to do it.
“Whitney, when she did it, she just took it worldwide and made it the most special song in the whole world for a long period of time,” Parton said in an interview with CBS News in 1992. “That song won’t let me go, and it just lived on.”
Houston’s version remained at No.1 for 14 weeks starting at the end of November 1992.
When Houston died in 2012, Parton said hearing her song during Houston’s funeral got her emotional.
“When they lifted her coffin up at that funeral, and they went into that song, I mean I just busted out in tears. It was just like somebody just stuck me in the heart with a knife. It was just so overwhelming knowing that was my song, my words. It was so final. It was her song. It was such a mixture of emotions,” Parton said. “I think both of us will always be … that song will be tagged to both of us forever.”
Houston’s sister-in-law, Pat Houston, told Channel 2 Action News that she was “so sad” to hear of Parton’s passing.
“I am grateful that Whitney’s voice helped carry one of Dolly’s timeless songs into the hearts of millions,” Pat Houston wrote. “May she rest in Peace knowing her music and her heart will live on forever.”