Dolly Parton to Profit from Whitney Houston’s Death for ‘I Will Always Love You,’ Report

By Laura Matthews | February 14 2012 10:23 AM

Singer Dolly Parton is set to make a huge profit from Whitney Houston's death because she wrote one of Houston's biggest hits, I Will Always Love You.

REUTERS/GUS RUELAS

Singer Dolly Parton is set to make a huge profit from Whitney Houston’s death because she wrote one of Houston’s biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You.”

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The Huffington Post reported that Parton will get the writer's and publisher's rates when the hit song gets an increase in radio and television performances.

On records, the typical mechanical royalty paid to the writer/publisher is about 8 cents per radio performance, a successful songwriter told the Huffington Post. That would all go to Dolly. Whitney is only the singer. She receives an advance from the record company based upon anticipated album sales. Figure that's around $2.00 per album. But all of the costs to record the album, promote the album, videos, etc. are all recouped from the artist's share.

Houston died on Saturday at the Beverly Hilton hotel in California. She was 48. The cause of death has not been officially released, but TMZ reported that family sources have said that the coroner has said it appears that Whitney Houston died from what seems to be a combination of prescription drugs mixed with alcohol.

Houston was found face down in a bathtub in her hotel suite and it was first speculated she might have downed. But it has since been revealed that there wasn't enough water in her lungs to conclude that Houston died from drowning. Reports are that she will be buried in her home state of New Jersey this week.

Her mother, Cissy, is said to be devastated at her daughter's death.

We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney, Cissy Houston, a gospel singer, said in a statement to OnTheRedCarpet.com. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly.

An industry insider also told the Huffington post that Houston was allegedly broke at the time of her death.

She was broke -- her label gave her advances, a record company insider said. And unlike Michael, you have to remember that Whitney didn't write any of those massive hits. They were songs that Clive Davis told her to sing and she did.

Reports are that when Michael Jackson died, his renewed interest in his work made his estate a fortune.

Whitney was living off of advances -- loans from the record company -- and had been [for] quite some time, an insider told the Huffington Post. Most likely the estate owes the record company a ton and future sales will be used to pay back that loan before any money goes to the estate. The songwriters, however, will make a bundle.

Related Article: Cissy Houston 'Devastated' Over Whitney's Death