Back in the early 1990s, “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner helped send one of superstar Whitney Houston’s songs to the top of the charts.
Costner and Houston starred in the 1992 film “The Bodyguard” together. Kevin Costner’s character was assigned to protect Houston’s character, who’s a famous singer. So, of course, the film needed a killer soundtrack.
The duo always planned on Houston covering a popular song. But Costner was the one who decided on Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit “I Will Always Love You,” per Yahoo! News. He also encouraged Houston to start a capella at the beginning, with no instrumental accompaniment.
“This is a very important song in this movie. I didn’t care if it was ever on the radio, I didn’t care,” Kevin Costner told CMT in 2008. “We’re also going to do this a cappella at the beginning. I need it to be a cappella because it shows a measure of how much she digs this guy – that she sings without music.”
All of these decisions paid off in the end, with the song staying at the top of the charts for weeks and the film grossing $400 million at the global box office.
And now, 30 years after the film was released, Houston still holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling single of all time by a female artist.
Unfortunately, 10 years ago today on Feb. 11, 2012, Whitney Houston died at just 48 years old. She had an incredible music career and a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.
Kevin Costner’s New Docuseries Highlights Indigenous Communities
Earlier this week, Kevin Costner revealed that he’d be developing a new docuseries called “Onward.” The project will highlight different Indigenous communities across the world, showcasing their traditions and cultures.
The docuseries will also depict the struggles these communities face in the modern world, though. Crises like climate change, COVID-19, and commercial development all play a huge role in changing these cultures forever. The episodes will detail different Indigenous peoples’ narratives as they struggle to navigate these threats to their way of life.
Kevin Costner will executive produce the project alongside Glenn Kleczkowski Mark Gillard, and Cale Glendening. Glendening actually served as the inspiration for the project, based on a previous documentary he created. The former “Onward” chronicled Glendening’s time with the Kazakh-Mongolia eagle hunters in the Altai Mountains.
“‘Onward’ is not only a preservation project but also a celebration of culture,” Glendening told Variety earlier this week. “My goal is to create the largest visual anthology of Indigenous people in the world so that we can help keep these traditions alive.”
When Variety broke the news about the new project, Kevin Costner shared their article on Twitter with a message of his own. “This one is close to my heart. Can’t wait to share it with you. Read more about #Onward at the link below.”
