Guess who this woman is, who grew up in poverty, was abused, and lived with 11 siblings.   Today, at 77 years old, she is a celebrity with a 500 million euro empire, and you all know her…  Check out the first comment for the answer!  

Dolly Parton, the artist behind the song “I Will Always Love You,” is far from unknown. But before the song became a huge success for Whitney Houston, it could have been performed by another icon: Elvis Presley! However, Dolly Parton chose to decline the King’s offer.

Many still don’t know, but it was Dolly Parton who wrote, composed, and performed “I Will Always Love You” long before Whitney Houston’s version in The Bodyguard movie. The song was a heartfelt tribute to her mentor, Porter Wagoner. In 1992, Whitney Houston covered the song for the film’s soundtrack, where it became a phenomenal success, selling about 20 million copies. Yet, the fate of this song could have been very different.

In 1974, nearly 20 years before Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley considered performing “I Will Always Love You.” According to the legend, the King sang this song to Priscilla Presley in front of the courthouse steps after their divorce.

Originally, Dolly Parton had accepted Elvis’s offer. “I was invited to the studio to meet Elvis and watch him record my song. It was the most exciting thing that ever happened to me. Who doesn’t love Elvis?” Dolly Parton confessed in 2006 to CMT.