“I Will Always Love You” is famously associated with Whitney Houston, but was actually written and performed first by Dolly Parton.
It was also almost covered by Elvis Presley. However, country icon “Jolene” turned down the King of Rock at the last minute.
She explained why in a recent interview.
Read more about what happened to Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley…
Speaking to BBC2, Dolly confirmed that Elvis had a special connection with the song and had even sung it to his ex Priscilla Presley after they divorced.
In fact, at one point, Elvis had prepared a cover that he wanted to publish.
“He loved the song, he wanted to do it, it had worked for him,” Dolly recalled. “They had already called me to go down to the studio to meet him and listen to the song.”
What happened? Elvis’s manager intervened and made a demand that she could not accept. “And the night before, Colonel Tom Parker calls me and says, ‘Well, you know we don’t record anything with Elvis unless we have a release or at least half a release,’” she said.
Dolly disagreed, explaining that the chart-topping title was “the biggest copyright in my entire publishing company.”
She was “heartbroken,” but emphasized that she did not tell Elvis that he could not cover the song. “I wouldn’t let Colonel Tom Parker,” she stressed.
In case you didn’t know, Dolly recently released a duet with two other musical legends. She also addressed her retirement plans.
Press play on the Dolly Parton interview segment below…
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn