Dolly Parton’s recent trip to visit her friend Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show is the gift that keeps on giving this holiday season.
Videos by American Songwriter
Most recently, clips from Parton’s appearance have yielded, as you can see below, an impromptu performance of the hit song “I Will Always Love You” by Parton and Clarkson, as well as gossip about a pig Latin diss track, FOMO, and much more.
To begin, the two talked about the first time Parton heard Whitney Houston’s version of the hit track.
“When they were doing The Bodyguard movie, they had chosen another song for the theme song,” Parton told Clarkson. “And someone came out with that very song right when they were about to put the movie out. And they were really trying to find a great song. And Kevin Costner and his secretary said, ‘Do you remember Dolly Parton’s song, “I Will Always Love You”? It’s a country song but it’s a beautiful song.’ And so they called me to see if they could use it and I said yes. And I didn’t hear anything else about it.”
Then, of course, she heard Houston sing it on the car radio and she was floored. Hear Parton tell the story and perform a snippet with Clarkson, below.
Parton stuck around for much more on her visit.
She talked about a diss in pig Latin on the song “The Friendliest Enemy.” But the best part of Parton explaining the story behind the song was her playing her fingernails like they were a tiny washboard. Some people can find rhythm backing anywhere. Check it out below.
Parton also talked about her forthcoming new rock album. Recently she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after a bit of hemming and hawing about whether she felt she belonged in the museum. Now, though, she has a new rock album to make it clear she’s a rock star. Here Parton talks about the album below.
Finally, Parton talked about writing the song “Two Doors Down,” while thinking about fried clams. She and Clarkson commiserate about their love of food and their “up and down” weight (who among us can’t relate?!) and Parton tells the origin story of her song “Two Doors Down,” which is on her recent Greatest Hits album. Check out that clip below.
For more on Parton, check out the American Songwriter cover story with the country star HERE.
Photo by Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal
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