Dolly Parton dies at 80; 'I Will Always Love You' legacy recalled

Dolly Parton, the country music icon who wrote more than 3,000 songs, died on August 25 at age 80 in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer, according to her publicist Source: elnacionalve. Her death prompted tributes from artists and collaborators, including Kevin Costner, who starred in and produced The Bodyguard Source: infobae.

The song's origin

Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" in 1973 as a farewell to her mentor and duet partner Porter Wagoner, when she decided to leave his television show to pursue a solo career Source: elconfidencial. She recorded it on June 17, 1973, at RCA Studio B in Nashville Source: excelsiormx. When she sang it for Wagoner, he wept and called it "the best song you've ever written" Source: excelsiormx.

Elvis and Whitney

In 1974, Elvis Presley wanted to record the song, but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded half the publishing rights. Parton refused, a decision she later called guided by instinct Source: excelsiormx. Two decades later, Whitney Houston's 1992 version for The Bodyguard became a global phenomenon, spending 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the best-selling single by a female artist Source: elconfidencial. Parton, who retained full authorship, invested royalties in an African American neighborhood in Nashville Source: elconfidencial.

Other hidden gems

Parton's songwriting catalog includes other hits often attributed to other artists: "Jolene," covered by Miley Cyrus; "There'll Always Be Music," recorded by Tina Turner; and "To Daddy," made famous by Emmylou Harris Source: abces.

Disagreement

Sources differ on the cause of death: elconfidencial reports a "brief battle with cancer," while elnacionalve mentions unspecified health problems Source: elconfidencial Source: elnacionalve.