Why Dolly Parton refused to let Elvis record 'I Will Always Love You'

[NinaFromCanadaEh]

Why Dolly Parton refused to let Elvis record 'I Will Always Love You'
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/ ... 946061007/

Bob Mehr
Memphis Commercial Appeal

Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” has been a massive hit on multiple occasions. Written by Parton in 1973, as a farewell to her longtime musical partner and mentor Porter Waggoner, it was released as a single the following year, becoming a No. 1 country hit on the Billboard charts. In 1982, Parton would rerecord the song for the soundtrack to the film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” and it once again became a massive hit and No. 1 country single.

But the song would go even further a decade later as part of another motion picture, 1992’s “The Bodyguard.” The film’s star, Whitney Houston, would deliver a version that became the world’s best-selling single that year, shifting some 25 million copies, and winning several Grammys.

But Parton's heartfelt and lyrical promise also has a long history with the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley. In fact, Presley adored the song and yearned to record it. Parton was flattered and game. A version was worked up, and Parton was making plans to hear it in the studio.

“Elvis loved 'I Will Always Love You,' and he wanted to record it,” Parton recalled in a 2006 interview with CMT. “I got the word that he was going to record it, and I was so excited. I told everybody I knew, ‘Elvis is going to record my song. You’re not going to believe who’s recording my song!’”

But as the country superstar noted, the session was derailed by Presley's notoriously controlling manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Parker insisted Elvis would only record the song if he retained half of the song's lucrative publishing rights.

While Presley never recorded the song, it clearly had a deep meaning for the singer. His former wife, Priscilla Presley, told Parton that Elvis sang that song to her as they were coming down the courthouse steps after finalizing their 1973 divorce.

“After Elvis died, she had told me that Elvis loved that song," Parton recalled. "Of course that was after we missed out on the opportunity for him to record it, so that was a heartbreaker when Colonel Tom wouldn’t let Elvis do it because he wanted my publishing and I couldn’t let him have it. ... It was my most important copyright at that time. I was glad I held on to it, and after Whitney did it, I was really glad I held on to it."

In 2023,, the song turned up as part of the climax of the Sofia Coppola film about Priscilla Presley’s life, “Priscilla.” The movie closed with Parton’s version of the song.

Elvis fans may also have noticed a possible reference to Parton's song toward the end of "Elvis," Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic that catapulted its star, Austin Butler, to an Oscar best actor nomination. While song doesn’t actually play in the film, in a scene that depicts a post-split meeting between Elvis and Priscilla on an airport tarmac, Butler can be seen turning to her and mouthing the words, "I will always love you."

[Bilbobaggins]

This song would have fitted Elvis like a glove in the mid-seventies! I always liked the song... though a bit on the dramatic side maybe, but Elvis would have sung it from the guts, I think. Just like he did with 'For ol' times sake'.

[Bilbobaggins]

Too bad he didn't record this. Just like 'We had it all'. Also a beautifull song!

[NinaFromCanadaEh]

I agree.

Otis Blackwell said half an Elvis song was more money than all of anyone else's

But I understand Dolly's position too. She did sue Sheena Easton for the 9 to 5 song title and built an empire for herself

with most songwriters not being able to do that


this story repeats too often in the news cycle tho

like Petula Clark's threesome story and Tom Jones Shower one