During a Dec. 2022 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Dolly Parton and Clarkson discussed the timelessness of "I Will Always Love You," a song written and first recorded in 1973 by Parton and made iconic by Whitney Houston in the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
After a song planned as the film's main theme got cut by someone else, Houston co-star Kevin Costner suggested "I Will Always Love You" as a suitable replacement. Parton green-lit the idea and didn't stay in contact about the planned Houston cover. Then while driving around Nashville one day, Parton heard the now-iconic recording on the radio.
"When it went into 'And I,' I just freaked out," Parton shared. "I had to pull over to the side because I honestly thought that I was going to wreck. It was the most overwhelming feeling and you know how great that was."
Back in March, Clarkson belted out "I Will Always Love You" during the ACM Awards broadcast. That performance earned high praise from the song's writer — and a consistent awards show-stealer in her own right.
"I've been meaning to tell you, that whole crowd, Whitney, she would've been so proud of you, because I felt like she was watching you. You absolutely killed it," Parton said. "Seriously, it was incredible."
Afterwards, Clarkson granted Parton's wish by singing harmonies for an impromptu duet of the song's chorus.
"Your breaks in your voice are so magical. You're like a magical fairy human," Clarkson told Parton afterwards.
Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" after the acrimonious end of her business relationship with Porter Wagoner. Per most tellings, Parton penned the equally legendary "Jolene" on the same day. Houston's recording won 16 major industry accolades, namely the 1994 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. As of 2022, the Houston version is diamond certified for compiling 10 million sales and streams.
