Dolly Parton was all of us when we heard Whitney Houston sing "I Will Always Love You" for the first time, but imagine if it was sung by a completely different artist?
Patti LaBelle spilled the news on Watch What Happens Live that she was originally supposed to sing the iconic Dolly song instead of Whitney. She revealed to Andy Cohen that the "Jolene" singer offered it to her first.
"Dolly Parton offered it to me before The Bodyguard," she told Cohen. "And I said to Dolly, 'Oh yes. I want to do that song, honey.'"
So what prevented the "Godmother of Soul" from providing her vocals for the song? Timing.
"Before I could say real yes, it was in the movie and Whitney killed it," LaBelle explained. "So, I have not done it since Whitney, but I plan to put it in my show one day."
Parton wrote and recorded a country version of "I Will Always Love You" before it became one of the best-selling singles of all time with Houston's version for the 1992 movie. The "How Will I Know" singer received three Grammys for her rendition including Record of the Year.
Although LaBelle missed her chance, she still had a pretty successful career. In the last 50 years, she's had hit albums, roles in popular shows and even a delicious pie franchise. The "Lady Marmalade" singer was happy for Houston and understood it was all a part of show business.
While we wait for a LaBelle version of the love song, we'll just be alternating between Dolly's and Whitney's.
