I Will Always Love You is a song most everyone has heard, or at least knows of. However, most people aren't aware of the original artist of the song, Dolly Parton. In 1973 Dolly Parton wrote this infamous song about her business partner, who was also her mentor, Porter Wagoner. The song proved over and over again how successful it can and will always be, granting Dolly Parton a US Country Chart record breaker making her the very first country artist to have the same song reach number one released in different years. The song reached number one after being released in 1974 and again in 1982 when she put the track on the movie soundtrack for The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. The paramount version of this song, however, came from Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston recorded the track in 1992 for her film debut in The Bodyguard.

Both of the versions use the exact same words, yet the styles are immensely different. Dolly Parton kept her version a soft, homey country ballad. Whitney, on the other hand, changed and made her version a classic soul ballad. No matter what version this song is sang, the meaning is always there. The song is a classic break-up song that talks of a relationship that can never work but they will always love each other. The two versions, though in very different genres, get this feeling across successfully. The original version by Dolly Parton was country genius and then almost twenty years later, Whitney Houston took it, remixed the music, put her mark on it and it ended up being pop/soul genius. The whole song changed just by Whitney Houston singing the first verse accapella and by the amazing talent of Whitney Houston and the people that worked with the song, it made Dolly's version and Whitney's version two very different, equally great, yet both are similar in that they both take the message of the song and flow it through the song everytime I hear it.

~Ryan Murphy