Why didn’t Elvis ever record I Will Always Love You?

It is one of the most famous ballads ever recorded, and for millions of people it belongs to Whitney Houston. The Apple certainly thinks so, and says Elvis was long gone before Whitney ever sang it. The Sole gently points out that the song is older than that, and that the reason Elvis never recorded it is a story about a young songwriter saying no to the biggest star on Earth.

The short answer

I Will Always Love You was written by Dolly Parton in 1973. Elvis Presley wanted to record it, but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, insisted that Elvis receive half the publishing rights. Parton refused, so the recording never happened.

The real story

Parton, who died in August 2026 at the age of 80, wrote the song as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner, the country star whose TV show had given her a big break and whose duet partner she had been for years. She wanted to go solo, and the song was her gentle way of saying so. Wagoner was reportedly moved to tears and produced her recording himself.

Released in 1974, it went to number one on the US country chart. Then word came that Elvis wanted to cut it. Parton was thrilled. But Colonel Parker called with a condition: Elvis did not record songs unless his side got half the publishing.

For a songwriter, publishing rights are a long-term income stream. Parton later described turning Elvis down as one of her first truly hard business decisions, and said some friends thought she was out of her mind. She kept the rights anyway.

It paid off spectacularly. The song topped the country chart again in 1982 when she re-recorded it for the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Then, in 1992, Whitney Houston’s soaring version for The Bodyguard spent 14 weeks at number one on the US pop chart. As the sole songwriter, Parton earned royalties from every one of those plays.

Why people get it wrong

Houston’s performance was so overwhelming that it effectively replaced the original in many people’s minds, especially outside country music circles. Younger listeners often assume the song was written for the film.

And the Elvis angle feels unlikely, because we imagine nobody in the 1970s would turn down the King. Parton did, and calmly.

The Wiper notes that the referee’s decision, in this case, was made by the songwriter, and it stood. He has since forgotten the tune, which is impressive, given that it is one of the most famous tunes ever written.

“A young singer told Elvis’s manager no and kept her song. I can’t even say no to a kid who wants to scuff me on the lino. Proper respect to her.”