Patti LaBelle Almost Recorded One of Whitney Houston’s Biggest Hits
Whitney Houston has multiple No. 1 singles, but none of them compare to the commercial success and impact of “I Will Always Love You.” The song was initially recorded by a country music icon and later covered by other artists. But it turns out that the legendary Patti LaBelle was set to re-record the song before Houston.
Patti LaBelle nearly recorded “I Will Always Love You”
Dolly Parton released the song in the mid-1970s. She dedicated the song to Porter Wagoner after getting her start singing on his show for seven years and finding solo success on her own. “I thought, ‘Do what you do best, just write a song.’ So, I wrote the song, took it back in the next day. And I said, ‘Porter sit down, I got something I have to sing to you.’ So I sang it. And he was sitting at his desk, and he was crying,” Parton said in a 2021 clip from filmmaker Ken Burns’ Country Music. “He said, ‘It’s the best thing you ever wrote. OK, you can go, but only if I can produce that record.’ And he did, and the rest is history!”
Before Houston re-recorded the song for The Bodyguard, Parton offered it to LaBelle. In a 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, LaBelle revealed she wanted her shot at the song and that she was in talks with Parton to do so.
“I said to Dolly, ‘Oh yes, I want to do that song, honey!'” LaBelle told Cohen. “But before I could say real yes, it was in the movie and Whitney killed it. I was so happy Whitney got that song and it just went like it did. But Dolly Parton and I had planned. ‘Patti, you’re going to sing that song.’ Next! That’s how show business is!”
Kevin Costner is responsible for the iconic acapella intro of the song recorded by Whitney Houston
David Foster produced the soundtrack for The Bodyguard, but he struggled to find the perfect signature song for the film. In his David Foster: Off The Record, he shares behind-the-scenes secrets of his biggest hits.
“The big thing what – was kind of song could really capture the essence of the leads, the emotion, and make it more than just a thriller,” Clive Davis said in the documentary. Foster was initially sold on Houston recording “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted,” a midtempo track by Jimmy Ruffin. But he only liked the hook and needed something greater. He came across Parton’s version of “I Will Always Love You” and knew instantly how to make the song work for Houston.
Costner insisted the song begin with an acapella, which Foster was not a fan of. But he agreed to do the record Costner’s way for Houston’s performance in the film. He planned to add music to the opening for the single release. Foster completed the mix by starting Houston acapella, per Costner’s request, and Davis loved it.
The song became Whitney Houston’s signature song in her career
“I Will Always Love You” spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts and became Houston’s longest-running No. 1 single. It won Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 1994, six Billboard Music Awards, and two American Music Awards.
The song also propelled The Bodyguard into becoming the greatest-selling movie soundtrack of all time. Foster said the soundtrack sold over 45 million copies worldwide.
