Dolly Parton Reveals the One Request She Made When Whitney Houston Covered “I Will Always Love You”

When it comes to songwriting, Dolly Parton has always been clear: the song comes before the singer. For decades, the country music legend has allowed other artists to reinterpret her work—including what became one of the biggest ballads of all time, “I Will Always Love You.” While the song was originally written and recorded by Parton herself in 1973, it reached new heights in 1992 when Whitney Houston delivered a powerful reimagining for the blockbuster film The Bodyguard.

But long before it became a global hit under Houston’s voice, the song had nearly been recorded by Elvis Presley—until publishing rights got in the way.

Elvis Said No, Whitney Said Yes

Though “I Will Always Love You” became a global phenomenon thanks to Houston, it was almost recorded by Elvis Presley in the 1970s. According to Parton, Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, insisted that she hand over part of the song’s publishing rights in exchange for the recording—a deal she declined.

“Neither side gave in,” Parton recalled, and as a result, Presley’s version never happened.

Years later, when the producers of The Bodyguard reached out to Parton—on the advice of the film’s star Kevin Costner—she was open to the idea of Houston recording the song. But she made one specific request: that the third verse be included.

“I sent [the song] to them,” Parton said in an interview with BBC Radio 2. “I said, ‘Be sure and make certain that that last verse can be sung.’”

Parton referenced how Linda Ronstadt, who had previously recorded the song, left the final verse out.

“She thought, ‘I can’t do a recitation.’ But it’s in the same melody. I just talked it. But I had written it.”

Despite making her request clear, Parton didn’t hear back about whether the full version would be used. It wasn’t until she was driving one day that she found out for herself.

A Song Heard, A Car Nearly Wrecked

Speaking to Howard Stern in 2023, Parton described the moment she first heard Houston’s version on the radio.

“I was like a dog hearing a whistle,” she said. “It was ringing some sort of bell, but it didn’t dawn on me.”

By the time she realized what she was listening to, Houston was about to hit the iconic chorus.

“When she started that, I almost wrecked. Honest to God. Had to pull over to the side at Walgreens there in Brentwood—or where the Walgreens is now—and listen to the rest of it.”

The experience left her stunned.

“I couldn’t believe my little country sad song could even be done like that. That was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

Mutual Respect Between Icons

The admiration was mutual. In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone, Whitney Houston recalled receiving a phone call from Parton after the song became a massive hit.

“‘Whitney, I just want to tell you something. I’m just so honored that you did my song. I just don’t know what to tell you, girl,’” Houston recalled, imitating Parton’s Southern drawl.

Houston responded with gratitude.

“‘Well, Dolly, you wrote a beautiful song.’ And she said, ‘Yeah, but it never did that well for me. It did well for you because you put all that stuff into it.’”

Houston also spoke candidly about her concerns leading up to the release.

“I was so concerned when I sang her song—how she’d feel about it, in terms of the arrangement, my licks, my flavor,” she said. “When she said she was floored, that meant so much to me.”

Dolly Parton’s classic ballad may have been written as a tender country farewell, but Whitney Houston’s version turned it into a pop anthem of everlasting love—and for Parton, hearing it that way was nothing short of transformative.