On this day (May 19) in 2007, Porter Wagoner celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Marty Stuart, Patty Loveless, Dolly Parton, and other Opry members took to the stage to honor Wagoner’s long and influential career. The night wouldn’t have been complete without a tear-jerking rendition of “I Will Always Love You” from Parton.
If it weren’t for the late great Wagoner, Parton may not be the star she is today. She joined the cast of The Porter Wagoner Show in September 1967. The show helped introduce her to a nationwide audience. At the same time, the pair released several successful duet recordings. Then, seven years after joining the show, Parton wanted to leave and focus on her solo career. As the story goes, Wagoner didn’t want to let her leave until she sang “I Will Always Love You” for him. The song she penned for him convinced Wagoner to let her spread her wings.
So, it was only fitting that Parton perform the song to cap off the night celebrating Wagoner’s longevity. While the hit song is always moving, few renditions are as touching as the one she performed during the celebratory event. She rested her hand on her former mentor’s shoulder, looked him in the eyes, and tearfully sang the song she wrote for him all those years ago.
Dolly Parton Sings “I Will Always Love You” for Porter Wagoner
Marty Stuart hosted the show and introduced the song. After congratulating Porter Wagoner and thanking the artists who participated in the event, he turned his attention to Dolly Parton. “Miss Dolly, there’s no way in the world we could close this show without this song,” he told her. “No. That’s exactly right,” she replied.
“I think this is something we’d all like to say to Porter,” she began. “If it hadn’t been for Porter, I wouldn’t have written this song,” Parton explained. “This was kind of my goodbye song to Porter, but he just wouldn’t get away, so he’s here now,” she joked. Then, she added, “This song means a great deal to me. We all love you,” before she began to sing “I Will Always Love You” to Wagoner.
She performed the song in front of a packed Opry House crowd, but it was clear that she was singing to Wagoner.
