Fifty-two years ago today, on March 11, 1974, Dolly Parton released the song “I Will Always Love You.” It was a huge success for Dolly that year, hitting number one on the Hot Country Songs chart.
It hit number one again when she rerecorded it in 1982. Then, 10 years later, the 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard came out, starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. Whitney covered “I Will Always Love You” for the soundtrack, introducing it to yet another generation and making it even more astronomically famous.
As we all know, this bittersweet ballad is about a relationship coming to an end. Perhaps you’ve even belted it out in the shower a time or two in the midst of a breakup.
In real life, however, Dolly didn’t have much experience with heartbreak in the romance department. In fact, she and her late husband Carl Dean had one of the most enduring love stories of all time and a marriage that lasted nearly 60 years until his death. Her biggest breakup story actually involved a longtime relationship of the professional kind—and it’s why she wrote “I Will Always Love You.”
As told in Country Living’s article “10 of Dolly Parton’s Best Songs and the Stories Behind Them,” Dolly originally wrote the song for her musical partner Porter Wagoner, after their years of singing duets on his television program, The Porter Wagoner Show, came to an end.
Years later, Dolly told CMT, “It’s saying, ‘Just because I’m going don’t mean I won’t love you. I hope you do great, and I appreciate everything you’ve done, but I’m out of here.’”
Understandable. Dolly knew she had places to be and things to do—like setting 11 music-related Guinness World Records in her legendary, Broadway musical-worthy life. We will always love you, Dolly.
Terri Robertson has been an editor and storyteller for more than 20 years. As Senior Digital Editor at Country Living, she curates daily newsletters and has found a niche writing about odd corners of the internet and people embracing American life off the beaten path. She’s passionate about gardening and nature, writing about everything from super monarchs to supermoons. She also contributes to Country Living’s entertainment coverage, including HGTV stars, popular TV shows, and music.
Terri began her career proofreading Southern Living cookbooks—a first job befitting an English major with a childhood penchant for reading her mom’s cookbooks—and went on to edit many food, garden, and lifestyle titles. She later worked for the University of Alabama’s marketing and communications division, capturing the stories of students and faculty.
Returning to lifestyle media in 2017, she covered local arts, culture, and business news in Birmingham, Alabama, for Bham Now and later served as digital media manager for Flower magazine, a luxury home, garden, and lifestyle publication, before finding her home at Country Living. She and her husband live with their four cats in Birmingham.
