Kristin Chenoweth Enlists Dolly Parton for New Cover of 'I Will Always Love You' (Exclusive Debut)

Kristin Chenoweth
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The stirring rendition of the classic love song appears on Chenoweth’s upcoming album, ‘For the Girls.’

This one’s for the girls

On her seventh studio album, Kristin Chenoweth is bringing together music’s most influential and favorite female singers, from Barbra Streisand to Linda Ronstadt. A collection of new interpretations by Chenoweth, For the Girls is a tribute to the artists that have personally influenced the performer throughout her life and awarding-winning film, stage and music career as well as her fans who have grown up alongside her listening to these artists and long-standing hit songs. 

One such record is “I Will Always Love You,” originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton and famously covered by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard soundtrack. Now, Chenoweth is offering her take on the 1973 song with a new, stripped down rendition that features Parton herself -- and ET has the exclusive debut.        

“These are some of my favorite singers in the world,” Chenoweth says. “‘I Will Always Love You’ is a song I’ve loved since I was a child. I used to think, ‘One day I’m going to sing that song.’ Little did I know that I’d get to sing it with the queen herself.”

For the Girls will also see Chenoweth revisit Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were," Eva Cassidy’s “It Doesn't Matter Anymore,” Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” and more. Of course, Chenoweth wouldn’t be doing her longtime Broadway fans right if she didn’t include Judy Garland’s “The Man That Got Away.” 

In addition to covering these female powerhouses, Chenoweth invited a few of the industry’s biggest names, including Parton and Ariana Grande, to help her add a new, iconic stamp on these classic songs.  

“I really wanted to pay homage to all the women singers who have influenced me over the years,” Chenoweth explains. “I wanted to make something that men could also enjoy, but this is by the girls and for the girls. These songs have all stood the test of time, and most of them are songs that I grew up listening to. It was a little intimidating, because people like Judy, Barbra and Dolly are the people who made me want to be a singer in the first place. I wanted to pay homage to these women and do them proud, but I also wanted to put my own stamp on it. And I think I was able to do that.”

​For the Girls is available Sept. 27 from Concord Records. ​

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