The Young Girl Who Stunned ‘The Voice’ Judges with a ‘Forbidden’ Dolly Parton Song

Young girl performs ‘forbidden’ Dolly Parton song on ‘The Voice,’ leaves judges speechless

Four decades after Dolly Parton denied Elvis Presley the rights to “I Will Always Love You,” a 13-year-old Austrian girl took the ballad and made it all hers. The “forbidden” song – famously introduced by Whitney Houston in 1992 – was flawlessly performed by Laura Kamhuber on The Voice Kids blind auditions. And she left the judges temporarily speechless.

The Story Behind the Song

In 1974, Elvis Presley wanted to sing Dolly Parton’s hit song “I Will Always Love You.” However, Parton would have had to give up half of the publishing royalties if she agreed. Despite Presley being her hero, Parton believed in her heart that it wasn’t the right decision and decided not to sign the agreement. She later admitted that she always wondered what Presley’s version would have sounded like. Little did she know that Whitney Houston’s rendition of the song would bring her enough money to buy Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former estate.

Whitney Houston’s Record-Breaking Success

Then in 1992, Whitney Houston recorded a pop ballad version of “I Will Always Love You” for the film The Bodyguard. The song became a huge success, selling over 20 million copies worldwide and becoming the best-selling single of all time by a female soloist. Even today, it remains an iconic song. Only Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” has come close to reaching that level of success.

When Houston tragically passed away in 2012, Dolly Parton expressed her deep gratitude and admiration for Houston’s performance of her song. She said, “I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.’”

Laura Kamhuber’s Sensational Audition

Fast forward to the next year, 13-year-old Laura Kamhuber stepped onto the stage for the blind auditions of The Voice Kids. As soon as she started singing “I Will Always Love You,” the judges were left speechless and amazed. Kamhuber, competing on the German edition of the popular singing competition, received high praise from all three judges, who turned their chairs for the opportunity to coach her. German pop star Tim Bendzko even joked that the song was “forbidden” because of Whitney Houston’s incredible vocal range, but Kamhuber sang it sensationally and left everyone in awe.

While Kamhuber didn’t go all the way in the competition, her audition became iconic and has amassed an incredible 226 million views on YouTube. It is now the most-watched YouTube video by an Austrian artist. Since then, Kamhuber, now known as Laura Lun, has released three albums featuring pop, country, and ballads.

Listen to Laura Kamhuber’s Amazing Audition

If you haven’t heard Laura Kamhuber’s audition yet, take a moment to listen to her breathtaking performance. It’s not surprising that it captivated millions of viewers around the world. Let us know what you think!