3 Dolly Parton Songs That Were Covered by Other Artists
Dolly Parton is one of the most legendary celebrities in history. The country artist is known not only for her music, but also for her acting and her philanthropy. Fans of Parton might be surprised to know that some of Parton’s most popular songs have been covered by other artists.
1. ‘I Will Always Love You’
Without a doubt, “I Will Always Love You” is the most popular song of Parton’s to ever be covered by another artist.
Parton released “I Will Always Love You” in 1974 as a country song. Years later in 1992, Whitney Houston covered “I Will Always Love You” for the movie The Bodyguard.
Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” took off and became one of Houston’s most popular songs. On a January 2023 appearance on the Rachael Ray Show, Parton shared what it is like to have people perform covers of her songs.
“Well, I’ll tell you that is one of the more overwhelming feelings that I’ve experienced in my whole career,” Parton said.
She continued, “To know that you have written something that has touched that many lives and that people know it and sang along, I always wondered, I used to admire people when they had those songs like that as I was growing up in the business. I would think ‘That must be a great feeling.’ And then when it happens to you, and it’s just overwhelming. So, it’s always a great joy.”
2. ‘Jolene’
When one thinks of Dolly Parton, one probably thinks of “Jolene.” Parton released the song in 1973. To this day, it is regarded as one of the most popular songs of all time.
Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that there are multiple covers of Parton’s song “Jolene.” The band The White Stripes famously released a cover of “Jolene” in 2004 as a live single. Following its release, The White Stripes’ version of the song charted internationally.
While multiple artists have covered “Jolene,” perhaps one of the most special covers comes from Parton’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.
Cyrus has covered “Jolene” multiple times, and during the New Year’s Eve special Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party on NBC, Cyrus and Parton performed “Jolene” together.
3. ‘There’ll Always Be Music’
Parton and Porter Wagoner released the song “There’ll Always Be Music” in 1973. The song was later covered by Tina Turner in 1974.
Turner is generally regarded as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and she is known for her music in the soul, R&B, and rock genres.
In 1974, Turner leaned into country music and released an album called Tina Turns the Country On! This album was not only Turner’s debut with country-inspired music, but also her debut solo album.
Tina Turns the Country On! included songs written by famous country artists including “There’ll Always Be Music” by Parton and Wagoner.
Following its release, Turner earned a nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance Female at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards in 1975 for the album.
