Dolly Parton Mourns Loss of Whitney Houston

Country music icon Dolly Parton speaks to INSIDE EDITION about the sudden and tragic death of Whitney Houston and how they will forever be linked by the song, "I Will Always Love You."

Dolly Parton spoke to INSIDE EDITION's Megan Alexander about the tragic death of music legend Whitney Houston.  

"It's always so shocking when the greats die young," said Parton.

The country music icon, wrote Houston's biggest hit "I Will Always Love You."

She told Alexander how she got all choked up when she heard the song playing at Houston's funeral.  

"When they lifted that coffin up and they went into that song, I just busted open. I just felt my heart was going to come out of my chest. And that's when I got so emotional, just knowing it was so final; knowing we would always be tagged with that song, it got real emotional for me. I have not performed the song since she passed," said Parton.

Parton, who was in Nashville promoting a new live concert CD/DVD, "An Evening With Dolly," which is being sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel restaurants.

Alexander asked, "Is there one song on this album that you love hearing the crowd sing along with you?"

"Every single person in the world I think knows the words to "9 to 5." When I go into that chorus everybody's singing it," said Parton.

Parton still looks amazing at 66 and like the rest of us, she's still mourning the death of that other singing icon who died too soon. Two women whose careers are forever linked.