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Dolly Parton used I Will Always Love You royalties to support black neighborhood: ‘This is the house that Whitney built’
Dolly Parton has revealed what she chose to do with her earning from Whitney Houston’s cover of I Will Always Love You (Picture: Getty/Whitney Houston/Youtube)
Country music legend Dolly Parton has revealed the touching way she used her royalties to honor Whitney Houston.
For those who don’t know, the 75-year-old was the person who wrote and released I Will Always Love You – before it was famously covered by the late Whitney.
Thanks to the success of the iconic cover, Dolly has reportedly made around $10million in royalties throughout the 90s and is still making a profit to this day.
During her appearance on Thursday’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, she was asked about the best thing she bought with the royalties.
‘I bought my big office complex down in Nashville. So I thought, “Well, this is a wonderful place to be,”‘ Dolly began. ‘I bought a property down in what was the Black area of town, and it was mostly just Black families and people that lived around there.’
She continued: ‘It was off the beaten path from 16th Avenue and I thought, “Well, I am gonna buy this place — the whole strip mall.” And I thought, “This is the perfect place for me to be,” considering it was Whitney.’
‘I thought this was great — I’m just gonna be down here with her people, who are my people as well. So I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex and I think, “This is the house that Whitney built.”‘
Dolly also revealed her biggest regret, as she opened up about her wish to have been able to perform the timeless hit with Whitney before she died in 2012.
‘I was never asked to perform that with Whitney. I wish that could have happened,’ the Jolene singer stated. ‘I would’ve loved that but I don’t think I could’ve come up to [sing] with her, though — she would’ve outsung me on that one for sure.’
That truly would have been a special moment.
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The country legend also shared her thoughts about the Free Britney movement as she voiced support for the singer’s bid to have more control over her life amid her conservatorship battle.
While Dolly said she ‘tries not to get involved’ in other people’s issues, having gone through her own legal battle with singer-and-producer Porter Wagoner – who sued her for breach of contract in 1979 – she can relate to Britney’s battle and said ‘I wish her the best’.
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