On this day (March 11) in 1974, Dolly Parton released “I Will Always Love You” as the second and final single from Jolene. It reached No. 1 on the country chart later that year, spending a week at the top. Then, nearly a decade later, it returned to the top of the tally. More importantly, “I Will Always Love You” has become one of Parton’s signature songs and played a major role in the evolution of her career. The song found new life in 1992 when Whitney Houston released a version for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard. Her rendition became a record-setting global sensation.
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Parton’s career took off due, in part, to her work with Porter Wagoner. She was a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show and toured with him regularly. The pair also released multiple duet albums. However, by the early 1970s, she wanted to break away from him to pursue a solo career. Moreover, she wanted to make important decisions and steer her career in what she believed was the correct direction. Wagoner didn’t want to let her go.
After many behind-the-scenes arguments and much tension, Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” for Wagoner. In the song, she expresses her affection and appreciation for him, as well as her desire to blaze her own trail. He only agreed to let her leave his show after she played the song for him.
Dolly Parton Goes to No. 1 Twice with One Song
“I Will Always Love You” gave Dolly Parton her third No. 1 on the country chart. It reached the top of the tally for the first time in June 1974 after climbing the ranks for two months.
Parton re-recorded “I Will Always Love You” for the soundtrack of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She released the new version as the soundtrack’s lead single in July 1982. It reached No. 1 that October, staying there for a week. This would not be the last time the song reached the top of the charts, though.
Whitney Houston’s Smash Hit
Whitney Houston covered this Dolly Parton classic for The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. Her version became a massive hit, topping the Hot 100 for 14 weeks, setting a chart record. Additionally, it was a multi-week No. 1 in Australia, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It later became the best-selling single released by a woman in the United States. Houston also took home Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year for her rendition of the song at the 1994 Grammy Awards.
Featured Image by Harry Langdon/Getty Images
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