Dolly Parton vs. Whitney Houston | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 10^th edition of Head 2 Head, Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston duke it over their respective takes on “I Will Always Love You.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing and contrasting their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  The source of our 10^th head-to-head is the song, 🎵 “I Will Always Love You”. The two artists going head-to-head are 🎙 Dolly Parton who wrote and originally performed the song,  and 🎙 Whitney Houston, who delivered a hugely popular cover of the song. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Dolly Parton, “I Will Always Love You”

💿 Jolene • 🏷 Sony • 📅 1974

“And I, will always love you / I will always love you.” Those. Lyrics. Are. ICONIC! 🎙 Dolly Parton deserves mad credit for the original version of 🎵 “I Will Always Love You.” The record appears on her 1974 album, 💿 Jolene, which is best known for 🎵 “Jolene”.  “I Will Always Love You” marks another highlight, mind you, but it definitely ‘plays second fiddle’ to the title track.  Nonetheless, merely writing this breakup record is awesome.

In the country icon’s hands, “I Will Always Love You” is quite beautifully performed – a standout in its own right.  There’s a degree of simplicity about it that places emphasis on Parton’s gorgeous pipes. Dolly has one of the truly distinct, easily recognizable voices of all time.  Had this been the sole version of the record, I have little doubt that it would be considered the definitive version.  It’s highly effective, incredibly emotional, and totally relatable. But, as we know, another icon would cover it and definitely give Dolly a run for her money.

2. Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You”

💿 The Bodyguard – Original Soundtrack Album • 🏷 Arista • 📅 1992

“If I should stay / I would only be in your way / So I’ll go, but I know / I’ll think of you every step of the way.” My apologies to every other R&B artist who released music in 1992.  Why? Well, the best R&B song of that year belongs to one woman and one woman only. Pretty amazing how 🎙 Whitney Houston totally transformed 🎵 “I Will Always Love You,” a country song written by 🎙 Dolly Parton isn’t it?  Perhaps I should apologize to Dolly as well considering Whitney took her song and created a total juggernaut!

There’s not much commentary needed for this performance – it speaks for itself.  This is the greatest of Whitney Houston’s many, many hits – the first that comes to mind for most.  At her best, who could out-perform her?  Her tone is absolutely stunning.  She definitely ‘gives her all’ on this powerhouse performance which shows her flaunting her upper register.  That occurs on the best moment of the song, the modulation (key change), where from then on, Houston goes to a completely different level.

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The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

Two icons, but only one takes this head 2 head – no ties. Is it Dolly or Whitney?  We all know how this one ends, and I even considered not writing this particular Head 2 Head, sigh.  That said, no matter who sings this masterpiece in the future, there will only ever be one definitive, truly iconic version and that belongs to Whitney Houston.  Honestly, I don’t think Dolly’s mad at her.  If nothing else, this Houston staple has also put plenty of money in Parton’s pocket too!

Dolly Parton vs. Whitney Houston: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 10 [📷: Arista, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Sony, Valentin Tikhonov from Pixabay]