If there’s any love song that’s proved its cross-genre, cross-generational appeal, it’s "I Will Always Love You," a classic hit that dates back to 1973. The song was first written and recorded by Dolly Parton following her business split from Porter Wagoner — the mentor that helped her earn her first major fanbase with her spot on his musical variety television show.
The song was a commercial success in the mid-1970s, and then again a decade later, in the form of a re-recording for the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack. Parton’s second version nabbed her a GRAMMY nomination in 1983 in the Best Country Vocal Performance, Female category.
But "I Will Always Love You" didn’t stop there: Whitney Houston delivered a soulful reinterpretation of the song that became a record-breaking hit in the mid-1990s, spending 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earning the Record Of The Year golden gramophone at the GRAMMY Awards in 1994.
In the latest episode of Reimagined at Home, GRAMMY.com’s performance series spotlighting artists putting new spins on songs that gained recognition at GRAMMY Awards past, R&B singer-songwriter puts his own reverent, stripped-down spin on "I Will Always Love You."
While Chancellor’s soulful and smooth-as-butter voice takes more cues from Houston’s version of the song, both she and Parton have an equal claim to his influences in this performance. He favors the country version in his delivery of the song, stripping the vocals back to their purest and most plaintive, and spotlighting the powerful, emotional story behind the song.
Although "I Will Always Love You" is associated with two musical titans, Chancellor made sure his own style shined through in this performance. Wearing a glittering black blazer and backed by low lighting and dark velvet curtains, Chancellor created a lush ambiance to set the mood for his performance, with a license plate, a record player and two potted plants also serving as stage decor.
Press play above to watch Chancellor’s reinterpretation of "I Will Always Love You," and keep checking back for more new episodes of Reimagined at Home.