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Parton used royalties from 'I Will Always Love You' to help Black community in Tennessee

Dolly Parton
Posted at 12:58 PM, Jul 30, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-30 16:22:57-04

Country music legend Dolly Parton used the royalties from her song "I Will Always Love You" to help a Black community in Nashville, Tennessee.

Parton made the revelation to Andy Cohen on an episode of "What What Happens Live," Entertainment Weekly and People reported.

The song, which Parton originally wrote in 1973 as a farewell to her former partner Porter Wagoner, became a massive hit for late singer Whitney Houston in 1992 when she performed it for her movie "The Bodyguard," People reported.

According to Forbes, Parton made $10 million in royalties from the song.

During his interview with Parton, Cohen asked her what the best thing she purchased with her royalties from the song was.

Parton said she wanted to honor the late singer the best way she knew how, so she decided to purchase a building in Nashville.

"I bought my big office complex down in Nashville. So I thought, 'Well, this is a wonderful place to be,' " Parton said according to EW and People. "I bought a property down in what was the Black area of town, and it was mostly just Black families and people that lived around there. It was off the beaten path from 16th Avenue, and I thought, 'Well, I am gonna buy this place — the whole strip mall.' And I thought, 'This is the perfect place for me to be,' considering it was Whitney.

"I thought this was great — I'm just gonna be down here with her people, who are my people as well," Parton continued. "So I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex, and I think, 'This is the house that Whitney built.' "