Dolly Parton may have written and recorded “I Will Always Love You” first, but the song went on to become one of the most beloved vocal showcases in music history.
Parton, who died Tuesday (Aug. 25) at 80, wrote the 1974 classic after deciding it was time to part ways professionally with country star Porter Wagoner.
Nearly two decades later, Whitney Houston transformed the song into a massive global pop hit through The Bodyguard soundtrack.
But Houston wasn’t the only singer to put her own stamp on Parton’s masterpiece.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton Never Met Eminem, But She Left Him With Words He’ll Never Forget
From country powerhouses to unforgettable live tributes, these five singers showed just how much life there is in “I Will Always Love You.”
Whitney Houston
Houston’s 1992 version for The Bodyguard soundtrack is the cover most people immediately think of. Her towering pop-ballad rendition became a global, record-breaking smash and transformed Parton’s country classic into one of the defining songs of Houston’s career.
Vince Gill
Vince Gill brought the song back to its country roots with a celebrated version recorded with Parton herself. It’s a beautiful reminder that beneath all the soaring pop production, Parton’s original is still a devastating country goodbye.
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes has repeatedly taken on “I Will Always Love You” in live performances, bringing the kind of powerhouse vocals the song demands while keeping its emotional core front and center.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson delivered a widely praised tribute performance of the song in honor of Parton, putting her famously massive voice behind one of Parton’s most enduring compositions.
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson has delivered two particularly memorable performances of the song. In 2010, she performed it directly to Houston at the BET Honors while Houston watched from the audience. Two years later, following Houston’s death, Hudson delivered an emotional, impromptu rendition during the 2012 Grammy Awards.
The Original
Before Whitney Houston made the song a global phenomenon, there was Dolly. Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” in 1973 as she prepared to leave The Porter Wagoner Show and move on from her professional partnership with Wagoner. She recorded it herself in 1974, and it became a No. 1 country hit.
There’s something especially poignant about hearing Parton sing the song herself now. This was never just a heartbreak song. It was Dolly saying goodbye, closing one chapter and choosing what came next.
Different singers. Different eras. Different approaches. But every one of them understood what Dolly Parton knew when she wrote it: sometimes goodbye deserves a great song.
