Dolly Parton: From Country Queen to Whitney's Piggy Bank?
Ah, Dolly Parton. The woman, the myth, the legend... and the secret investor in Whitney Houston's mansion (probably). We all know and love Dolly for her outrageous wigs, her philanthropy, and of course, her iconic song "I Will Always Love You." But here's the thing: that song became a whole new level of iconic when Whitney Houston belted it out for the movie The Bodyguard. And let's just say, Whitney's pipes turned Dolly's bank account into a symphony of clinking coins.
So, How Much Dough Did Dolly Really Make?
Now, this is where things get juicy. Estimates vary wilder than Dolly's wigs on a windy day. Some sources claim Dolly raked in a cool $10 million from Whitney's powerhouse rendition. Others say it was more like a whopping $20 million. That's enough cash to buy a ranch the size of Texas (and maybe even a few rhinestones to decorate it).
Did Dolly Write Whitney a Blank Check Signed "Thank You"?
Well, not exactly. Here's the deal. Dolly, bless her business-savvy heart, owned the publishing rights to "I Will Always Love You." This means every time the song was played on the radio, used in a movie (like, ahem, The Bodyguard), or covered by another artist (and there were a lot of covers), Dolly got a little somethin' somethin'. So, Whitney's version was basically a money machine for Dolly, printing out ten-dollar bills with Dolly's face on them (okay, maybe not literally, but you get the idea).
And the Plot Thickens... Dolly's Generous Twist
Now, Dolly could have gone full Scrooge McDuck and swam in a pool of money like a rhinestone-encrusted mermaid. But Dolly, being Dolly, did something pretty darn spectacular. She reportedly used a chunk of that Whitney money to invest in a Black community in Nashville. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade (or rather, royalties into community development).
So, the answer to the burning question? We don't know the exact amount Dolly made from Whitney, but it was definitely a boatload. And true to form, Dolly used that windfall to do something kind and unexpected. Because, well, that's just the Dolly Parton way.
