In the mid-1970s, Merle Haggard was at the top of country music. Every single he released turned into a chart hit, and his tours sold out quickly. At the same time, Dolly Parton had just left Porter Wagoner’s band to begin her solo career. Teaming up with Merle seemed like the right move, and soon, she was touring with him across the country.
The two already knew each other through songwriting and quickly became close on the road. Dolly often rode on Merle’s bus, and they spent many hours talking about music and life. Their bond grew, both personally and professionally. When Merle passed away in 2016, Dolly spoke about him with warmth, calling him one of the country’s best.
Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard did several songs together
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Dolly and Merle shared stages and traded songs that turned into major hits. One of the biggest came in 1974, when Haggard heard Dolly’s song “Kentucky Gambler.” Merle recorded his own version, and it became his 19th No. 1 hit. It was also Dolly’s first time writing a chart-topper for another artist.
Dolly released her version in 1975 on her album The Bargain Store, which also featured a song written by Merle called “You’ll Always Be Special to Me.” Around that time, Merle also covered another Parton song, “The Seeker.” For a while, the two recorded each other’s music, and their collaboration paid off.
Merle Haggard wrote ‘Always Wanting You’ to express his love for Dolly Parton
Beyond their music, Merle fell in love with Dolly while they toured together. He tried to hide it at first, but eventually told her how he felt, however, Dolly did not feel the same way as they were both married at the time. In her case, she chose to stay faithful to her husband, Carl Dean.
Still, Merle could not stop thinking about her. He turned his feelings into a song called “Always Wanting You.” He even called Dolly in the middle of the night to sing it to her. The song was released in early 1975 and became another No. 1 hit for Merle, who confirmed in his autobiography that the song was for Dolly.
