“I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston’s 1992 hit, was originally written by Dolly Parton. Parton wrote and recorded the song in 1973 as a farewell to her professional partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner, when she decided to leave his television program and pursue a solo career.
Parton’s original country recording became a No. 1 country hit in 1974 and again reached the top of the country chart in 1982 after she re-recorded it for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Whitney Houston’s version was radically reimagined as a dramatic pop-soul ballad for the 1992 film The Bodyguard, in which Houston made her acting debut.
Produced by David Foster, Houston’s recording begins with an a cappella entrance before expanding into a powerful vocal performance. It topped charts in 34 countries and became one of the best-selling singles of all time. The common mistake is assuming Houston wrote it because her version became definitive; she was the performer of the famous cover, while Parton was the songwriter and original recording artist.