Dolly Parton’s smartest business move was saying no to Elvis Presley
In the 1970s, Dolly Parton turned down Elvis Presley when he asked to split publishing rights for "I Will Always Love You." The risky move paid off.
In the 1970s, country singer Dolly Parton declined a request from Elvis Presley to record her song "I Will Always Love You." Parton turned down the opportunity because she wanted to retain full publishing rights to the song. The decision paid off when Whitney Houston later recorded her version of the song for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard," making it a massive hit that stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 14 weeks and was later certified diamond.
Parton retained the publishing rights and once jokingly said that Houston's version made her enough money to buy Graceland. Parton's wise decision highlights the importance of protecting publishing rights as a valuable asset for musicians. Modern pop stars like Taylor Swift have followed in Parton's footsteps, retaining control over their masters and building substantial fortunes.
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