In 1974, Dolly Parton wrote a goodbye song to her partner. In 2026, it has now sold 39,000,000 copies

In 1974, Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, her longtime musical partner, as she prepared to pursue a solo career. The song expressed gratitude and affection rather than anger, and became one of her best-known compositions.

The article says Whitney Houston’s version alone sold 35 million copies, while the headline puts total sales at 39 million. Parton had initially performed with Wagoner, who helped her rise to fame, but said she needed to move on and did not want to remain a “girl singer”. She later continued performing the song herself while building a career that included hits such as “9 to 5” and “Here You Come Again”.