On the most recent episode of HBO's Foo Fighters Sonic Highways, Dave Grohl interviewed country music legend Dolly Parton about the decision to give away hit songs to other artists and her beginnings in the Nashville music scene. She said she moved to Nashville to write songs for both herself and other artists to perform.
"I had way too many songs for just me," she told Grohl. "I was writing all the time and still do."
She reminisced about her time working with Monument Records, back before she or any of her peers, such as Willie Nelson, knew they would be successful.
Parton also spoke about agonizing over whether to give some of her treasured songs away to other artists. One example she used was a song co-written and produced by Porter Wagoner called "To Daddy."
"As a writer, I wanted her to have it," Parton explained. "Because I wanted to have some of my songs recorded by a big artist, and she was really coming along. But Porter, that was one of the biggest fights we ever had because he was mad and thought I had made a horrible mistake. But when she recorded it and had a No. 1 song, I was so proud that I had let her have it."
When Grohl asked her about the international smash hit "I Will Always Love You," which she gave to Whitney Houston, she had nothing but positive memories.
"In fact, that little song keeps going. Every decade that song comes out," she said, detailing all the times it was recorded by different artists. "It's just the gift that keeps on giving."
Foo Fighters Sonic Highways airs Fridays at 11 p.m. on HBO.
Watch the clip below, and let us know what you think in the comments section!
