The EconomistAug 28, 2026 – 5.00amWhen Dolly Parton was in her 20s, she rejected Elvis Presley. She had written a wonderful song, I Will Always Love You, and the King wanted to cover it. His manager demanded that she sign over half the rights to the tune itself, because Elvis was huge and she was not. She said no.It must have taken nerve, for a woman who grew up in a one-room shack without electricity in Tennessee, to tell Elvis to get lost. But it made her millions. The version sung by Whitney Houston, many years later, was one of the best-selling tracks of all time. (The Arabic version ripped off by Saddam Hussein for a campaign song is best forgotten.)Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles