Four decades after Dolly Parton denied Elvis Presley the rights to “I Will Always Love You,” a 13-year-old Austrian girl took the ballad and made it all hers. The song, reintroduced to a new generation by Whitney Houston in 1992, was flawlessly performed by Laura Kamhuber on The Voice Kids, blind auditions.
A Denied Request and a Legendary Song
In 1974, Elvis Presley expressed interest in recording Dolly Parton’s hit song “I Will Always Love You.” However, agreeing to the terms meant Parton would have to give up half the publishing royalties for the song she wrote to mark the end of her professional relationship with long-time partner Porter Wagoner.
Though Presley was her hero, Parton couldn’t bring herself to sign the deal.
“Something in my heart says, ‘Don’t do that.’ And I just didn’t do it,” she said in an interview with CMT. “But I always wondered what it would sound like. I know he’d kill it…He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn’t. Then when Whitney [Houston’s version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland.”
Whitney Houston’s Global Hit
In 1992, Whitney Houston recorded a pop ballad version of “I Will Always Love You” for the film The Bodyguard, where she starred opposite Kevin Costner. The song became a global sensation, selling over 20 million copies and becoming the best-selling single of all time by a female soloist.
To this date, Celine Dion is the only other woman to hold a spot in the top 10, with 18 million sold for “My Heart Will Go On.”
In 2012, when Whitney Houston passed away, Parton joined the chorus of grieving stars, saying in a statement,
“I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.’”
Laura Kamhuber’s Iconic Audition
A year later, in 2013, 13-year-old Laura Kamhuber stepped on the stage for a blind audition of The Voice Kids. Her flawless rendition of “I Will Always Love You” left the judges awestruck. Competing on the German edition of the popular singing competition, Kamhuber earned the praise of all three judges, who turned their chairs for the opportunity to coach her.
German pop star Tim Bendzko, one of the judges, told Kamhuber that she had just sung “the forbidden song,” referencing Houston’s unparalleled range. He humorously added,
“You’re not actually allowed to sing this song because it’s unsingable. You just sang it sensationally. It was incredible.”
Though Kamhuber was later eliminated in the show’s knockout battles, her iconic audition has since garnered 226 million views on YouTube, making it the most-watched video by an Austrian artist.
Laura Kamhuber’s Continued Success
Now 24, Laura Kamhuber, who goes by the stage name Laura Lun, has released three albums, with her latest in 2017 featuring pop, country, and ballads. Her journey from a viral audition to a recording artist exemplifies the enduring power of a timeless song and the unexpected paths it can travel.
What do you think of Laura Kamhuber’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You”? Let us know in the comments, and share this story with others who might be interested in seeing her iconic performance!