How Dolly Parton Thanked Her Mentor and Made History With “I Will Always Love You”

Porter Wagoner saw something special in Dolly Parton when he introduced the 21-year-old singer on his television show in 1967. Together, they became a successful duo, but Parton’s star was rising quickly, and by the early 1970s, the partnership ended, until a brief reunion in 1980.

For Parton’s exit, she wrote and recorded one of her biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You”. The affecting ballad expresses independence from and devotion to Wagoner. Though their relationship became acrimonious, Parton’s goodbye note takes the high road: she would love him, always.

I Would Only Be in Your Way

By 1974, Parton had outgrown her creative partnership with Wagoner. After a successful run on The Porter Wagoner Show, and a string of charting singles as a duo on the Country charts, Parton was embarking on a full-time solo career.

If I should stay,
I would only be in your way.
So I’ll go, but I know,
I’ll think of you each step of the way.

And I will always love you,
I will always love you.

“I Will Always Love You” appears on Parton’s 13^th solo album, Jolene. Both the title track and Parton’s farewell ballad became standards as Parton, the solo artist, would soon become one of the most beloved icons in American history.

Bittersweet memories,
That’s all I am taking with me.
Goodbye, please don’t cry,
We both know that I’m not what you need.

Making History

Parton made history with “I Will Always Love You”. Twice, it topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, in 1974 and again in 1982. Then, following Whitney Houston’s flexing cover for the 1992 film The Bodyguard, it became the biggest-selling single by a woman artist in history.

It’s a fitting farewell to Wagoner, who introduced Parton to the national stage. And it only reaffirmed what he saw in her when she debuted on his show and replaced Norma Jean.

I hope life treats you kind,
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of.
And I wish you joy,
And happiness.
But above all of this,
I wish you love.

And I will always love you,
I will always love you.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images