Whitney Houston almost didn’t record her signature song. And Elvis almost owned it.
The song was first released in 1974.
"I Will Always Love You" was the second single released from Dolly Parton's 13th solo studio album, Jolene.
Although it’s a love song about a relationship, it is not about two lovers.
The song isn't about two lovers or a marriage breaking up. Written in 1973, it is actually about Dolly parting ways professionally with her partner and mentor Porter Wagoner.
Dolly owed all her early success to Porter. In 1966, he cast the then-obscure singer on his popular television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, and the two became a well-known vocal duo throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Elvis Presley almost did a cover of the song.
Elvis was a big fan of the song and wanted to do a cover. This news, of course, thrilled Dolly, but once she spoke with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, he told her that in order for Elvis to record the cover she would need to sign over 50% of the publishing rights to Elvis.
Dolly refused — she had a policy against signing away her publishing rights — and Elvis never recorded the cover.
That decision, according to Dolly, was difficult. She said: “That broke my heart, because I loved Elvis. I cried all night. Other people were saying, 'You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley. I mean, hell, I'd give him all of it.’ I said, 'I can't do that. Something in my heart says don't do that.' And I just didn't do it, and they didn't do it."
Dolly's decision not to sign over her publishing rights has made her millions of dollars in royalties from the song over the decades.
Via: elvis.com.au
The song went No. 1 twice on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs.
The song went to No. 1 when it was originally released in 1974, and again in 1982, when Dolly re-recorded it for the soundtrack to her movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
This made Parton the first artist to earn a No. 1 record twice with the same song and the same singer (and three times as a writer).
