Here’s how Dolly Parton used her Whitney Houston royalties to give back to Nashville’s Black community |
Dolly Parton, the late singer-songwriter born in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, penned the song in 1973. It came out the following year as the second single off her 13th solo studio album, ‘Jolene’, according to Genius. The track hit the top of the Billboard Hot Country Chart on two separate occasions, with its 1982 resurgence tied to its inclusion in ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ soundtrack. This re-recorded rendition also earned Parton a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, ‘Female’.
Dolly Parton credits Whitney Houston for making the song a global hit
Parton often gave credit to the late Whitney Houston for turning the song into a global hit. Houston’s rendition, featured on ‘The Bodyguard’ soundtrack, went on to sell over 45 million copies worldwide, according to Biography. “When Whitney did ‘I Will Always Love You,’ I mean look what a grand song she made out of that simple, heartfelt, you know, song… it was just amazing,” Parton said, as reported in Yahoo.com. “Whitney is the one who took it worldwide and really made it a household word — or song, I should say — so I’ll always be thankful to her for that.“
Dolly Parton’s royalties from Whitney Houston’s cover funded a Nashville complex
Houston’s version of the song went on to win her three Grammy Awards in 1994, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Meanwhile, Parton reportedly earned millions in royalties from Houston’s cover, according to Forbes, money she used to help fund a complex in Nashville, TN, aimed at supporting the surrounding Black community.
Dolly Parton on why she chose to invest in Nashville’s Black community
Speaking to People, Parton shared, “I bought my big office complex down in Nashville. So I thought, ‘Well, this is a wonderful place to be,’ ” Parton told People. “I bought a property down in what was the Black area of town, and it was mostly just Black families and people that lived around there. It was off the beaten path from 16th Avenue and I thought, ‘Well, I am gonna buy this place — the whole strip mall.’ And I thought, ‘This is the perfect place for me to be,’ considering it was Whitney.“She continued, “I thought this was great — I’m just gonna be down here with her people, who are my people as well. So I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex and I think, ‘This is the house that Whitney built.'”
Dolly Parton’s legacy of giving back through the Imagination Library
Giving back to communities remained a consistent part of Parton’s legacy, extending to children as well through her foundation’s initiatives like the Imagination Library, which provides free books to promote literacy, as per BBC. To date, the program has distributed over 332.4 million books, the website notes.
Dolly Parton’s death and private burial
Parton passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. She was later laid to rest in a private ceremony on Aug. 28, according to KCRA.
