He was singing to me 'I Will Always Love You,'" she told the outlet ... "I had often thought about doing a rock 'n' roll album for him with his favorite songs. And so when this all came about ...

Around 50 Grand Ole Opry members performed Parton's hit song "I Will Always Love You." The tribute followed shortly after the death of Parton's husband, Carl Dean. Parton wrote the song about her ...