A lot of people assume Whitney Houston's version of this song is the original. But Dolly wrote this back in 1973. She wrote it as a farewell to her business partner & mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing her decision to pursue a solo career. Love Dolly's sweet version. Whitney made it into a powerhouse song.
Dolly Parton wrote "I will always Love you" in 1974 along with another song called "Jolene" on the same day. Dolly was on a TV show with a man named Porter Wagoner. The show was doing great and even though it was, Dolly said that she would stay about five years and then she was going to go out on her own. Well the five years came around and the last time Dolly was on the show, she sang that song that she had written, "I will always love you" to Porter and then left and left him in tears. But anyway, Dolly has also written over 3,000 songs, has a whole bunch of Grammys and Oscars too as well as Life Achievement Awards. This Hall of Famer Dolly Parton can also play about five or six musical instruments very, very well. She has a net worth of about 650 million dollars and is often referred to as "The Queen of Country Music". But anyway as time went on, in November 25, 1992 there was a movie that came out called "The Bodyguard". Whitney Houston was starring in the movie but they wanted her sing Dolly Parton's "I will always love you" and Whitney said that she couldn't because it was country and she didn't sing country. Well then the producer Kevin Costner told her that she could even change some of the lyrics around if she wanted to and that it would help and she did at the beginning of the song. Well not only did the show "The Bodyguard" became a huge success but also Dolly's song being sung by Whitney Houston "I will always love you" did too. Of course Whitney Houston had to get Dolly's permission for using her song and of course pay her royalties which she did and Dolly said that Whitney could even call it hers as long as the checks kept coming which they did. But anyway, could you please play "Me and Little Andy" by Dolly Parton and let me know what you think of it. Oh yea' and also "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro. Thank you so much. Goodnight.
I am a little bit weary of hearing practically everyone who reacts to this song say, "Oh, she's singing a Whitney Houston song." NO, she is not! Whitney Houston sang a Dolly Parton song! Dolly wrote this song and recorded it and had taken it to number one TWO TIMES before Whitney recorded her version. Dolly first made it a number one hit when Whitney was about nine years old and then she took it to number one again a decade or so later. Whitney's version was released about 20 years after Dolly first wrote and recorded it! I'm not really upset with all the people who erroneously attribute this song to Whitney Houston, but I am EXTREMELY upset that apparently despite all the times that Whitney performed this, she never ONCE gave credit to Dolly for having written it. And yes, singers DO tell who wrote songs they are singing. Many times I have heard Johnny Cash sing a song that was written by Kris Kristofferson and he will SAY, "This next song was written by Kris Kristofferson" and then he sings it. I appreciate the fact that he gives the song writing credit to the person who deserves it! Also, despite THOUSANDS of DJ's playing the song by Whitney tens of thousands of times, apparently NOT A ONE OF THEM bothered to explain that it was a song written and recorded by Dolly Parton! Dolly doesn't seem to care. She jokes that Whitney can get the credit "as long as I get the cash", but I just find it strange that neither Whitney nor any of the DJ's EVER mentioned that Dolly wrote it.
Actually Whitney's record won Dolly Parton song of the year for R&B and Whitney Houston presented the award to Dolly and thanked her for writing such a beautiful song. Only love and respect between those two ladies.
I should add that I checked my memory. It was the Soul Train Awards show in 1994 where Whitney presented R&B song of the year award to Dolly. Dolly had already presented Whitney with record of the year at the Grammy awards show.
Funny you also said she looked like a Barbie doll, because one of the like 50 albums she's released was actually called Backwoods Barbie. Dolly is her real name, and she freely admits to wigs and patterning her look after the town tramp, but she's as real as they come. She owns her own theme park, Dollywood, has given millions upon millions of dollars to charity including child literacy and even the Covid vaccine research, she's starred in movies, TV and is a music legend. Everyone loves Dolly.
Whitney did a cover of Dolly's song. This is Dolly singing it later in her career which after singing the song for 50 years, she probably is tired of singing it and it's her song that she wrote, so she can sing it however she wants. She hit number one on the country charts with this song in 1974 and again after releasing it as a part of a movie soundtrack in 1982, then they used it in the Bodyguard and Whitney's version hit the stratosphere and Dolly charted it on the country charts a third time with Vince Gill as a duet in 1995. Whitney's version is about the power, but Dolly's is about the emotion. She's literally written thousands of songs.
Man.....i wish you would have reacted to the original!!!!! 1974 performance of Dolly singing this, the song she wrote, on the Porter Wagoner show. She was wearing a red dress, and it was magical!
Dolly wrote this song in 1974 for her boss and mentor Porter Wagoner. She also sang it in a movie called ‘the best little whorehouse in Texas’ to Burt Reynolds’s. In the movie with Whitney, She is dancing with Kevin Costner while this song is playing on the Jukebox. It’s being covered here by a man named John Doe. Clever, eh? It really is a great song and I listen to both versions. Dolly said when she sang it originally she was able to make deposits to the bank and when Whitney sang it…Dolly bought the bank! Life is funny! Love your reactions. PS in the South ladies always say,”the higher the hair, the closer to heaven!”
Dolly is country and she wrote this. If you check out another one of Dolly's live versions, she sings it like the way you know Whitney to sing it. Yes, everyone comments on how beautiful she is.
Not what I would have chosen as an intro to Dolly Parton! But…she is the author of the song. It was written to her former manager, who she decided to split with, not a romantic partner. For my money, two great Dolly Parton songs are 9 to 5 and one of her very latest releases, World on Fire. Parton has been a long time philanthropist, backing everything from HIV/AIDS causes, reading programs, and more recently, Black Lives Matter. She has an estimated net worth around $440 million, but lives simply with her husband of many decades…though it seems no one has ever seen him? Dunno what that’s about… Listen to World on Fire and 9 to 5. MUCH more entertaining. Also worth noting is she’s 77, and is coming out with a huge album in November with, I read, like 30 tracks. It’s called “Rockstar.”
Dolly Parton has written over 3,000 songs, over 50 of which have gone to the top of the charts for dozens of artists. Whitney Houston never wrote a song in her life. This song, which was written by Dolly, reached #1 in 4 different decades. Whitney Houston was 9 years old when Dolly first sang this song on live TV. Dolly Parton created a theme park called Dollywood with the many millions that Whitney Houston made for her singing this song.
it's not Whitney's song, which I love her as an artist don't get me wrong, but I Will Always Love You was originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton way back in 1973, alongside Jolene, she wrote both songs within 20 minutes
Dolly became the first female singer in history to take the same song to #1 twice and the first writer to have the same song go to #1 three times. Dolly took this song to the top in 1974 and again in 1983 for the Best Little Whorehouse In Texas movie and then Whitney took it to the stratosphere ....
Whitney,S cover went to number one, it was ws the third time. the first 2 were were Dollly.s. Check out 9 -to- 5 video,. She wrote the song on the set. And many others.
Eat your hart's out guys, Dolly has been married for decades, Dolly wrote this a sang it way before Whitney. Although Whitney did do it Justice for sure!!!
Whitney Houston covered the song to become her biggest hit. Dolly sang the song to a single person she worked for because she was leaving. One song that many people like that will touch your heart is Coat of Many Colors.
The reason you're getting a country vibe is because Dolly Parton is a country singer. And you asked whether it was Whitney or Dolly who put a twist on the song. It was both of them. Dolly was putting a twist on her own song that she recorded thirty years before. As for being a perv, some people might think she would be a little old for you. Dolly was 56 in this video, and she's 78 now. But, oh well. I make no judgment. The heart wants what the heart wants.
I can’t listen to Whitney’s anymore. Im much older than Whitney and it hurts she is not here. And it is not that she is just not here. It is like Marilyn Monroe. Beautiful and perfect on the outside that you would think would be the same inside. But the inside was in torment. Heartbreaking.
