Dolly Parton recently disclosed the reasons behind her reluctance to allow Elvis Presley to cover one of her most significant hits.
Although Elvis Presley initiated his career in country music and performed numerous classics within the genre over his more than 20-year career, there was one song that never resonated with his voice: Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." The song made its debut on U.S. radio on March 11, 1974, just days before Elvis released his twentieth studio album, "Good Times." Intrigued by the piece, Elvis sought permission from Dolly to record it, but the country legend consistently declined.
In a recent interview for BBC Radio 2, Dolly shed light on the controversy surrounding this decision. The 77-year-old singer clarified that her reservations were not directed at Elvis, with whom she had a close relationship. Instead, it was Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's controversial manager, who fueled the dispute. Parker insisted that Dolly relinquish half of the rights to "I Will Always Love You" for Elvis to sing it—an arrangement Dolly vehemently opposed to safeguard her artistic work.
Dolly recounted the pivotal moment when Colonel Tom Parker confronted her, stating, "(Elvis) loved the song and he wanted to do it. He had it ready. They had already called me to go to the studio and listen to part of the song. And one night before, Colonel Tom Parker talks to me on the phone and says, 'You know we don't record with Elvis unless we have the publishing rights with him. Or at least half of the publishing rights.'"
Faced with this demand, Dolly firmly asserted that she couldn't compromise on the success of "I Will Always Love You," considering it the biggest copyright in her entire publishing company. She recalled the conversation, saying, "'I had a number one song on it, and I said 'this is the biggest copyright in my entire publishing company and I can't do it.' He said, 'Well, then we can't do it.'"
While Dolly acknowledges the disappointment of not hearing Elvis sing her song, she stood firm in protecting her artistic rights. This unfulfilled desire to hear Elvis perform "I Will Always Love You" inspired a track on Dolly's fortieth album, "Rockstar," where she collaborates with artists like Sting, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, and Ronnie McDowell. The song, "I Dreamed About Elvis," narrates her longing to witness one of her biggest hits in the voice of Elvis Presley.
In 1995, over two decades after its release, Whitney Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You" for the film "The Bodyguard" became a generational anthem, earning Dolly Parton $10 million in royalties. Recalling the moment she first heard Houston's version, Dolly admitted to Radio Andy that she was so moved that she almost crashed her car, describing it as an overwhelming feeling that her song could be interpreted so beautifully and profoundly.
