Dolly Parton Wasn’t Eligible for Grammy for ‘I Will Always Love You’

Key Points:

• Whitney Houston won two Grammys at the 36th Grammy Awards in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You," including record of the year and best pop vocal performance, female, with producer David Foster also winning producer of the year, non-classical.
• Dolly Parton, who originally wrote and recorded "I Will Always Love You" in 1974, was ineligible for song of the year due to Grammy rules excluding previously well-known songs, a rule that has evolved over time.
• The eligibility rule was tightened after Irving Gordon won song of the year in 1992 for "Unforgettable," a song popular since the 1950s, following Natalie Cole's duet revival, sparking debate over whether older songs should compete against contemporary works.
• The current Grammy rule for song of the year requires that a song must be released or achieve prominence for the first time during the eligibility period, aiming to balance recognition between new and revived songs.
• Historically, some song of the year winners were previously known songs that gained new prominence, such as Jimmy Driftwood’s "The Battle of New Orleans," illustrating the evolving nature of Grammy eligibility criteria.