Natalie Grant and Dolly Parton Cover Whitney Houston’s “Step by Step”

Natalie Grant and Dolly Parton are reimagining a Whitney Houston classic. The Christian singer teamed up with the music icon for a cover of “Step by Step” that the late Houston sang for the soundtrack of the 1996 holiday film, The Preacher’s Wife, where she starred alongside Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance.

The upbeat cover honors the lively energy of the original version, adding a disco flair. While Grant handles the first verse, she’s joined by Parton in the second verse, the two uniting in the chorus as they sing, Step by step/Bit by bit/Stone by stone/Brick by brick/Step by step/Day by day/Mile by mile.

Grant had personal reasons for recording “Step by Step,” as it relates to her own journey of moving to Nashville from her native Seattle, Washington, to make it in music. Grant initially made ends meet by working in healthcare until she had a breakthrough with the Christian group, Truth, followed by the release of her self-titled, solo debut album in 1999.

[RELATED: Cancer Diagnosis Inspires Natalie Grant’s “No Stranger”]

“In 1996, ‘Step By Step’ is a song I would blast on cassette in my beat up Volkswagen Golf as I drove to my job at Medicare,” Grant states in a press release. “The dream when I moved to Nashville was music, not Medicare, but I had to do what was necessary to keep going. This song was my reminder to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you would’ve told me then that one day, I would not only be recording this song, but doing it with an International icon, I never ever would’ve believed it.  I still can’t believe it.” Grant and Parton performed the song at Dollywood in March 2023.

“Step by Step” will be featured on Grant’s upcoming album, Seasons, out on October 6. The album also features collaborations with CeCe Winans, Tauren Wells, Cory Asbury and other artists. Grant is currently on tour with her husband and fellow musician Bernie Herms, which takes them to churches and theaters across the country through November 2023.

(Photo Courtesy of Curb Records)