Which country legend wrote and first recorded ‘I Will Always Love You’?

Dolly Parton wrote and first recorded ‘I Will Always Love You’. Parton released her original country version in 1974 after deciding to leave ‘The Porter Wagoner Show’ and end her professional partnership with Porter Wagoner.

The song expresses affection and gratitude while accepting separation. Parton’s recording reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1974. She returned to the song in 1982 for the film ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’, and that version also topped the country chart.

Whitney Houston’s 1992 cover, recorded for ‘The Bodyguard’, transformed the composition into a global pop and R&B phenomenon. Houston’s version is often the one people remember, but Parton is both the songwriter and the first recording artist. The song therefore connects Nashville country songwriting with one of the biggest vocal performances in popular music history. Its title is not originally a breakup insult; it is a farewell expressing enduring love and respect.