Why Dolly Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You"
After Parton’s death, fans revisited the surprising, deeply personal origin of the song that became one of music’s most successful recordings.
In the hours following the death of country music icon Dolly Parton on Aug. 25, 2026, fans have revisited her biggest hits, but few songs tell a more powerful story than “I Will Always Love You,” a ballad that began as a deeply personal goodbye and eventually became one of the most successful recordings in music history. Parton, who died at age 80, left behind a catalog of classics, yet this song stands apart because of the unusual circumstances that inspired it, Yahoo! reported.