Kelly Clarkson and Dolly Parton are developing quite a good relationship with each other.
First, the two singers worked together on a new version of the hit song 9-to-5 for the documentary about the classic movie, which debuts at South-by-Southwest.
Then, Kelly went out at the ACM Awards and blew the crowd away with her rendition of I Will Always Love You.
Now, Dolly is giving her appraisal of Kelly’s performance of the hit song.
Dolly Parton loved Kelly Clarkson’s version of her song
While most fans attribute I Will Always Love You to Whitney Houston, who performed the song in the 1990s for the movie The Bodyguard, it is not a Whitney original song.
Dolly Parton wrote and performed the song for the first time in 1973.
The song hit number one on the charts twice for Dolly, first when it was released in 1974 as a single and again in 1982 when her version appeared in the movie, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
In 1992, it hit number one again when Whitney released her cover of the song and stayed there for 14 weeks.
At the ACM Awards, Kelly Clarkson sang the song. While Kelly can hit Whitney’s range, she kept it a little more low-key, singing it as Dolly did.
“I think my favorite part of the show was Kelly Clarkson singing ‘I Will Always Love You!’” Dolly said at the grand opening of Dollywood’s 2022 season. “Was that not absolutely beautiful?”
“She smashed it, I’m telling you – I was so proud of her,” Parton said. “I was standing backstage and my heart was just breaking, because I was watching her on the monitor and I thought – because it’s my song and I was remembering all my memories and everything… and I thought, ‘Lord, please, don’t let me start crying. I’ve got some more show to do.’”
Dolly then called it her personal favorite performance at the ACMs since she started serving as the co-host for the awards.
Dolly Parton rejected Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
Dolly Parton also made news this week when she rejected her nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“I don’t feel I have earned that right,” Dolly said in response to the nomination.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proved a long time ago that it isn’t about rock and roll, and is more of a music hall of fame. Names like rappers Common, Run DMC, and N.W.A. and pop stars like Pharrell Williams have all been inducted.
Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. are also members.
However, Dolly said that she does not want to be inducted unless she releases a rock album and it is good.
Dolly has won 11 Grammy Awards, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and had 25 number one hits over her career.
The Voice is on hiatus.