Dolly Parton Once Passed on Teaming up With a Rock Icon

In the 1970s, Dolly Parton was excited that the Elvis Presley wanted to record one of her songs. Sadly, a phone call left her — and the potential collab — all shook up. In an interview with Dan Rather, the country music legend explained how music fans almost got to hear a Presley version of her timeless hit, “I Will Always Love You.” “It’s no fault of Elvis,” Parton explained of why the Presley rendition never saw the light of day. “Elvis was ready to record it, I told my friends and people that he was recording it.”

However, when Presley’s manager stepped in, the idea of letting the King of Rock & Roll record her song turned sour. “Colonel Tom Parker calls me, the day before, and says, ‘Now you do know that Elvis is recording your song, and you do know that Elvis don’t record anything that he don’t publish or at least get half the publishing on?'” Ultimately, Parton didn’t feel comfortable surrendering such a large portion of the rights to the song and decided to pass.

Parton Was Heartbroken That The Recording Didn’t Happen

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In response to Parker’s statement, Parton explained that the song was simply too important for her to accept such a deal. “This song’s already been a hit with me,” Parton recalled telling him. “And obviously this is going to be one of my most important copyrights.” When Parker informed her that the recording was off the table, Parton took it hard.

“I was just heartbroken,” she told Rather. “It hurt me because I was so disappointed.” Although Parton — who was a Presley fan — was sad to not be working with him, she ultimately knew she made the right call. As she explained, the song’s status was a huge factor in her decision. “I couldn’t give somebody half of a song that had already been number one,” she said. Ultimately, this was a very business-savvy choice for Parton.

The Singer Was Stunned by Whitney Houston’s Version of The Song

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Of course, another artist did indeed record an unforgettable version of “I Will Always Love You:” Whitney Houston. According to Parton, that partnership was a very different experience from her interaction with Presley’s manager. “When Whitney recorded it, I was thinking, ‘Oh good,’ [because] now I own 100% of the publishing,” the singer shared with Rather. “And I did really well with that.”

Rather then asked Parton her thoughts about Houston — a singer from a completely different background and music genre than her — recording the song. Parton explained that hearing Houston’s version was a stunning experience. “When I heard it, my heart just stopped,” the singer said. After explaining that she heard Houston’s rendition while driving, and that it took her a moment to realize it was indeed her song, Parton had a strong reaction to the singer’s treatment of the chorus. “I honestly thought I was going to have a heart attack,” she laughed.