Dolly Parton Bids Farewell To Porter Wagoner With โ€œI Will Always Love Youโ€

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Itโ€™s been 50 years since Dolly Parton wrote and released the iconic track โ€œI Will Always Love You,โ€ and it still holds just as much power now as it ever did.

Dolly Released โ€œI Will Always Love Youโ€ 50 Years Ago

On February 4, 1974, country music legend Dolly Parton released her 13th solo album titled Jolene, which would become one of Dollyโ€™s most popular album releases of her career. A particular standout track from โ€œJoleneโ€ is the timeless ballad, โ€œI Will Always Love You.โ€

 

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Written by Dolly herself, this emotional track reportedly serves as a farewell to her longtime mentor and collaborator, Porter Wagoner, as she went on to pursue a solo career. Filled with raw emotion, the song grasps the bittersweet feeling that Dolly carried as she parted ways while expressing her endless gratitude for the guidance and support she received from Wagnor.

The song proved to be a hit for Parton, topping the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart twiceโ€”first in June 1974 and then again in October 1982. Despite facing pressure from the industry later on, including interest from big names like Elvis Presley who wanted to record the song, Dolly was determined to hold onto the rights to โ€œI Will Always Love You.โ€

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โ€œI Will Always Love Youโ€ gained renewed popularity when Whitney Houston delivered a soulful rendition for the movie โ€œThe Bodyguardโ€ in the early โ€™90s. Houstonโ€™s version dominated the charts, holding the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for an impressive 14 weeks and becoming the best-selling single by a woman in the United States at that time.

Throughout the years, โ€œJoleneโ€ and โ€œI Will Always Love Youโ€ have continued to captivate audiences, solidifying Dolly Partonโ€™s legacy as a legendary songwriter and performer in the world of music.

Listen to Dolly sing โ€œI Will Always Love Youโ€ below.

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About the Author

Megan Grisham

Hi, I'm Megan, a Nashville, TN native born and raised. I started my writing career in the entertainment industry, and living in the heart of Music City has given me an incredible chance to contribute to the world of country music. Today, I have found myself working alongside some of the biggest names in theโ€ฆ

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