Elvis Presley sang his favourite song to Priscilla straight after their divorce

15 September 2023 , 12:20

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Elvis Presley sang one of his favourite songs to Priscilla straight after their divorce (Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Dolly Parton has lifted the lid on Elvis Presley's divorce from Priscilla Presley, revealing that he had sung one of her songs to her as their separation was officially finalised.

The 77-year-old country icon made the admission in a new interview with BBC Radio 2 as she promoted her new album, Rockstar. Her new album is a mix of cover songs and originals and features collaborations with artists such as her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, The Beatles legend Paul McCartney, Sting, Pink and Elton John.

One of the original songs is called I Dreamed About Elvis with Ronnie McDowell and special guests The Jordanaires. The title of the song prompted Dolly to be asked during the interview about long-standiung rumours that she wouldn't let Elvis record a cover for her 1973 hit I Will Always Love You. Years later, powerhouse songstress Whitney Houston recorded a hit cover of the song for the 1992 movie The Bodyguard.

Elvis Presley sang one of his favourite songs from Dolly Parton to Priscilla Presley when their divorce was finalised. (Popperfoto via Getty Images)

When explaining why Elvis never recorded the tune, Dolly reflected how the King of Rock & Roll adored the song so much that he sang it to Priscilla when they walked down the courthouse steps after getting a divorce. "I wouldn't let Colonel Tom Parker. See, Elvis loved the song. In fact, I talked to Priscilla not very long ago. She said, 'You know, Elvis sang that song to me when we were walking down the courthouse steps when we got divorced,'" the Jolene hitmaker said.

Speaking of why Elvis' cover never came to be, Dolly continued: "He loved the song, wanted to do it, had it worked up, they'd already called me to come down to the studio to meet him and to be part and hear the song and the night before, Colonel Tom Parker calls me and says, 'Well, you know we don't record anything with Elvis unless we have publishing on it, or at least half the publishing.'

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Dolly made the admission in a new BBC Radio 2 interview (@bbcradio2/TikTok)

Elvis was a huge fan of Dolly's 1973 hit I Will Always Love You (We Love TV)

"Well, I said, because I had a number one song on it, I said, 'This is the most important copyright in my whole publishing company, and I can't do that'." Dolly went on to describe how the planned recording then fell apart as Colonel Tom wouldn't go ahead and how she was left "heartbroken" as she had always wanted Elvis to sing it.

Elvis and Priscilla met when he was 24 and she was 14. They eventually tied the knot after dating for seven-and-a-half years. They had one child together, Lisa Marie Presley, before separating in February 1972.

Jabeen Waheed