Dolly Parton Says Priscilla Presley Told Her Elvis Sang 'I Will Always Love You' to Her as They Divorced (2024)

Dolly Parton always has more stories to tell.

In an interview with BBC Radio 2, the country icon revealed yet another unknown fact about her 1973 classic "I Will Always Love You" — that it had a deep connection to Elvis Presley.

"Elvis loved the song. In fact, I talked to Priscilla [Presley] not very long ago. She said to me, 'You know, Elvis sang that song to me when we walked down the courthouse steps when we got divorced. He was singing to me'I Will Always Love You,'" she told the outlet.

She also revealed that Elvis actually wanted to record the track, but she ended up declining the offer because his manager Colonel Tom Parker said the "All Shook Up" singer would need to own at least half of the publishing rights. While the "9 to 5" singer was "heartbroken" it was the "most important copyright in her whole publishing company."

However, Parton paid tribute to the "King of Rock and Roll" in her own way on her forthcoming album Rockstar with the track "I Dreamed of Elvis."

In the interview she revealed she wrote the song 20 years ago with TheJordanaires and enlisted Ronnie McDowell, who worked Elvis and sounds like him, to sing on the track.

"I wrote a song, and I dreamed that Elvis was singing the song 'I Will Always Love You.' So I wrote a whole song about Elvis and then we did 'I Will Always Love You,' and it's in this album," she says of the song.

Back in May, Parton announced Rockstar, a 30-song record will include nine original songs and 20 iconic covers.

"I'm so excited to finally present my first Rock and Roll albumRockstar! I am very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure," the icon said in a press release.

She continued, "I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I've enjoyed putting it together!"

Her latest project features collaborations withMiley Cyrus,Sheryl Crow,Lizzo,Elton John,Chris Stapleton,Stevie Nicks,Sting,John Fogertyand more.

Rockstar will mark the singer's latest project sinceRun, Rose, Run, which she released in March 2022.

Last November, Parton told PEOPLE thatshe wanted to create a rock albumnot only for herself, but for her husband of 57 years,Carl Thomas Dean,a lifelong rock fan. She was also inducted into the 2022 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November.

"I'm doing the rock 'n' roll album because of him," she said. "I had often thought about doing a rock 'n' roll album for him with his favorite songs. And so when this all came about, I decided that I am gonna go ahead and do it. … It was just the perfect storm. OK, it's time."

Rockstaris due Nov. 17.