The Life of Country Music Icon Dolly Parton

By 1973 and 1974, the conflict between her and Porter Wagoner had become impossible to ignore. As she prepared to leave his show and go out on her own, the emotional strain inspired her to write “I Will Always Love You.”

Rather than attacking Wagoner publicly, she turned her feelings into a farewell song about gratitude, change, and moving forward. The track helped soften the breakup between them, but neither of them realized the song would eventually become one of the biggest recordings in music history.