Actor and director Kevin Costner has paid tribute to Dolly Parton, thanking the legendary singer for trusting him with her hit song I Will Always Love You for the 1992 feature film The Bodyguard.
The 71-year-old filmmaker, who produced and starred in the romantic thriller, shared a farewell message on Instagram expressing his gratitude for Parton's generosity and reflecting on her lasting impact.
In his social media post, Costner asked where Parton had gone, writing that she had left everyone breathless and that the sense of who she was remained close to those she touched. He added that people everywhere had paused to reflect on what a wonder she was during her life.
Costner expressed his gratitude to Parton for trusting him with the song, describing her as consistently generous in everything she did. He wrote that everyone felt lost at her departure, asking for forgiveness and stating that she would be missed enormously.
The story behind the bodyguard
In the 1992 movie, singer Whitney Houston, who died in 2012 at age 48, played Rachel Marron, a famous pop star targeted by a persistent stalker. Costner starred alongside her as Frank Farmer, a professional bodyguard hired to protect her.
The plot follows the early friction between the two main characters before their professional dynamic gradually turns into a romance. Costner had been attached to the film project since 1985, when he agreed to serve as both producer and lead actor.
When Houston joined the cast, the initial script provided few opportunities for her to perform music. Clive Davis, the head of Houston's record label Arista Records, insisted that additional songs be added to the production.
Selecting the song to close the film and accompany the conclusion of Frank and Rachel's romance proved difficult until a production member suggested Parton's track. Parton had originally written and released I Will Always Love You in 1974 as a personal farewell to her mentor and television partner Porter Wagoner when she left his broadcast show.
How the iconic track was chosen
Speaking to CMT in 2011, Parton recalled that Costner and his personal secretary were the ones who fell in love with the song. The production team had originally selected a different track for that key scene, but another artist had already recorded it, causing a last-minute panic.
When the filmmakers asked Parton about using her song, she sent them the track. She noted that months then passed without hearing any updates from the production crew.
During a 2003 appearance on Larry King Live, Parton described the moment she finally heard Houston's version while driving her car. She recalled turning on the radio and hearing Houston's opening a cappella lines starting with the phrase "If I should stay."
Parton explained that it took her a few seconds to recognize her own song. She said that when Houston reached the chorus, she was so overwhelmed that she almost had a heart attack and nearly crashed her car. She called hearing the final recording a wonderful feeling and praised Houston's rendition.
Record-breaking success and awards
The resulting soundtrack for The Bodyguard became the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, the top-selling album by a female artist in music history, and the highest-selling album of the 1990s decade.
Houston's single version of I Will Always Love You became the highest-selling single by a female artist in history as well as the top-selling single of 1992. The track earned Houston two Grammy Awards, winning Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
The feature film achieved major commercial success at the box office, grossing over $400 million worldwide. In addition to the commercial achievements of the soundtrack, two songs from the film were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
