Listen to Halestorm Cover “I Will Always Love You”

Before TRL, there was MTV’s Daily Most Wanted, a top 20 countdown that aired five days a week and was hosted by VJ Steve Isaacs (who later joined Dave Navarro in a band called The Panic Channel). In the summer of 1992, the first year I got heavily into music, two songs jousted for the #1 spot on that show on a daily basis: “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses and “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, from The Bodyguard soundtrack. From that summer-long battle was borne a deep hatred of what I only learned years later was a Dolly Parton cover; in my pre-teen mind I couldn’t fathom how such a sappy song could beat out Guns N’ Fuckin’ Roses.

Two and a half decades later I’ve finally made peace with the tune, and it comes via Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale, who positively nails it on the band’s new cover of the track. It comes from Halestorm’s new EP, Reimagined, which came out on Friday, August 14 (order here), and features acoustic versions of songs from the band’s catalogue (including this version of “Break In” as a duet with Amy Lee) plus this here cover. If 1992 Vince knew 2020 Vince was digging on this song he’d probably be very upset, but then I’d play him some of Halestorm’s regular fare and he’d probably be alright with it. What is life for if not personal growth?