Dolly Parton denied Elvis Presley the rights to “I Will Always Love You” four decades ago. In 1974, Elvis Presley made a play for Parton’s hit song, which she released the same year. If Parton agreed to the terms, she would have to give up half the publishing royalties to the country song. Whitney Houston introduced the song to a new generation in 1992, and Laura Kamhuber performed it flawlessly on The Voice Kids, leaving the judges speechless.
In 1992, Whitney Houston recorded a pop ballad of the same song for the film The Bodyguard, which became the best-selling single of all time by a female soloist. Celine Dion is the only other woman to hold a spot in the top 10, with 18 million sold for “My Heart Will Go On.” In 2012, when pop diva Whitney Houston died, she joined the chorus of grieving stars, saying she will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on her song.
The next year, 13-year-old Laura Kamhuber stepped on stage for a blind audition of The Voice Kids, and after flawlessly belting out “I Will Always Love You,” she left the judges gobsmacked. German pop star Tim Bendzko joked that Kamhuber had just sang “the forbidden song,” referring to Houston’s range of vocals that are hard to match. Kamhuber’s performance left the judges speechless, and her audition has 226 million views on YouTube.
