🎧 I Will Always Love You

Episode summary: Written by Dolly Parton… sent stratospheric by Whitney Houston; I Will Always Love You is a song that has a worldwide fanbase reflected by the diverse memories shared here: Nagham Kewifati tells how her mother, Mayada Bseliss, had a huge hit in Syria with an Arabic version. It was produced by Nagham’s father, Mayada’s husband, Samir. Dr. Marie Thompson of the Open University, who co-wrote a short course entirely about Dolly Parton, reveals the unlikely story behind the song and why Elvis Presley was refused permission to record his own version. Member of Parliament, Jim Shannon, explains why he introduced an unusual Early Day Motion in the House of Commons to celebrate the song’s 50th anniversary in 2023. Ben Rimalower, host of Giants in the Sky on the Broadway Podcast Network, describes how obsessed he became with Whitney Houston’s performances of this track when he was recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Vocal Coach, CeCe Sammy Lightfoot, describes how difficult Whitney Houston’s version is to sing…