Four decades after Dolly Parton denied Elvis Presley the rights to “I Will Always Love You,” a talented 13-year-old Austrian girl took the ballad and made it unforgettable.
The song, which became widely popular again in 1992 thanks to Whitney Houston, was impeccably performed by Laura Kamhuber on The Voice Kids during the blind auditions.
Her performance left the judges speechless.
Read on to discover more about the young girl’s astonishing audition that has amassed 226 million views on YouTube!
Back in 1974, Elvis Presley showed interest in Dolly Parton’s hit song “I Will Always Love You,” which she had released in the same year.
Agreeing to his terms would have meant Parton giving up half the publishing royalties of the country classic, written when she ended her professional relationship with long-time partner Porter Wagoner.
Even though Presley was her hero, she just couldn’t go through with it.
“Something in my heart says, ‘Don’t do that.’ And I just didn’t do it,” Parton explained 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.”
Reaching the top of the charts in 1992
In 1992, Whitney Houston recorded a pop ballad version of the song for the film The Bodyguard, starring opposite Kevin Costner. This rendition was a global phenomenon, with over 20 million copies sold, making it the best-selling single of all time by a female soloist.
To date, only Celine Dion has joined this echelon with her song “My Heart Will Go On,” selling 18 million copies.
In 2012, when Whitney Houston passed away, Dolly Parton joined the many mourning stars, stating, “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.’”
‘The forbidden song’
The following year, a young Laura Kamhuber stepped onto The Voice Kids stage for a blind audition. She flawlessly sang “I Will Always Love You,” and left the judges completely astonished.
Competing on the German edition of the popular singing competition, the 13-year-old Austrian wowed all three judges, prompting them to turn their chairs, eager to coach the young talent.
After her breathtaking performance, German pop star Tim Bendzko remarked that she had just sung “the forbidden song.” Referring to Houston’s incredible vocal range, he quipped, “you’re not actually allowed to sing this song because it’s unsingable.”
Bendzko added, “You just sang it sensationally. It was incredible.”
Although Kamhuber, now 24, was later eliminated in the show’s knockout rounds, her memorable audition has garnered 226 million views, making it the most watched YouTube video by an Austrian artist.
Since then, Laura, who now goes by the stage name Laura Lun, has released three albums, the latest in 2017 featuring a mix of pop, country, and ballads.
Take a listen to Laura Kamhuber’s audition and let us know your thoughts!
