Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Cissy Houston Reflect on Whitney Houston’s Death
Whitney Houston may have been one of the most successful singers of all-time, but she owes a lot of that success to three women. Her mother Cissy Houston, country singer Dolly Parton, and soul legend Aretha Franklin.
Whitney Houston was a singing star long before the movie “The Bodyguard,” but her rendition of “I Will Always Love You” cemented her as a diva legend. The song, however, was not originally Houston’s. The song is a cover of a country song by Dolly Parton. (See Dolly Parton’s version below).
After Houston’s death, Parton said in a statement:
“Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'”
Here’s Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
You can see Whitney Houston’s version (as well as her 10 other No. 1 hits) here.
Aretha Franklin was not only a musical influence on Whitney but the Queen of Soul was also the singer’s godmother. When asked about Houston’s death, Aretha could barely respond. She told US Magazine:
“I just can’t talk about it now. It’s so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby.”
Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother, was also a major source of inspiration. The Inquisitr reported earlier that Cissy Houston, a gospel singing legend, released a statement saying:
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends.”
You can watch a clip of Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston singing together here.
Were you a fan of Whitney Houston? Did you know that “I Will Always Love You” was originally a Dolly Parton song?