Many of us remember Whitney Houston’s iconic 1992 rendition of I Will Always Love You in The Bodyguard, but the song’s history runs deep.
Dolly couldn’t wait to meet Elvis and hear him sing her words. She recalled in an article by NME:
“I’d been invited down to the studio to meet Elvis and be there when he sang my song. That was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me. Who doesn’t love Elvis?”
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Tom Parker, Presley’s manager, let Parton in on some new information regarding the profits of Presley’s songs.
According to Parton, Parker said, “You do know we have to have at least half the publishing on any song that Elvis records?”
In her straight-shooting style, Dolly refused to go along with Parker’s rule, and Presley didn’t end up recording the song.
After telling Parker she wasn’t going to move forward with the recording, Parton said she “cried all night long, ’cause I was so disappointed. It wasn’t Elvis, I loved Elvis. And I’m sure he was as disappointed as I was because he had it all worked up and ready to go. I know he loved the song.”
Parton says she was devastated, and still thinks about the moment to this day….