Dolly Parton originally wrote and recorded “I Will Always Love You” in 1973 as a country song, released in 1974.

Quick Scoop: Who Wrote It First?

  • The song “I Will Always Love You” was written and first recorded by Dolly Parton.
  • She wrote it in 1973 as a farewell to her professional partner and mentor Porter Wagoner when she decided to go solo.
  • It was released as a country single in 1974 and became a number-one hit on the U.S. country charts.
  • Whitney Houston’s famous 1992 version for the film The Bodyguard is a cover of Dolly Parton’s original song.

A Tiny Backstory Touch

Dolly Parton has said she wrote “I Will Always Love You” to say goodbye with love and gratitude rather than anger, marking the end of her years working with Porter Wagoner. Decades later, Whitney Houston’s powerful version turned the same song into a global pop classic, but the heart of it still belongs to Parton’s original writing.

TL;DR: If you’re asking “who wrote I Will Always Love You originally?” — it was Dolly Parton.

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