--- title: Will Ferrell Explains Why He Sang Whitney Houston At USC description: "Do I torture the students and their parents by singing the entire song?" Will Ferrell rhetorically asked canonical: https://time.com/5037890/will-ferrell-i-will-always-love-you-usc-graduation/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-27T22:56:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:32:54.684Z og:title: Will Ferrell Explains Why He Sang Whitney Houston at USC og:description: "Do I torture the students and their parents by singing the entire song?" og:url: https://time.com/5037890/will-ferrell-i-will-always-love-you-usc-graduation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt415470fcb090cb90/6988cd2c196cf4456a04018b/will-ferrell-usc-song.png?branch=production&width=1109&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1109 og:image:height: 624 og:image:alt: will-ferrell-usc-song og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Will Ferrell Explains Why He Sang Whitney Houston at USC twitter:description: "Do I torture the students and their parents by singing the entire song?" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt415470fcb090cb90/6988cd2c196cf4456a04018b/will-ferrell-usc-song.png?branch=production&width=1109&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Will Ferrell Had a Great Reason For Singing 'I Will Always Love You' At USC Graduation > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=256bd1c3-b04c-418c-95af-f0350d1fc7f7&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Will Ferrell Belts 'I Will Always Love You' During a Commencement Speech [Watch (HLS stream): Will Ferrell Belts 'I Will Always Love You' During a Commencement Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/beGZqAal.m3u8) (1:39)  _Published 2017-05-12. Will Ferrell knows the only way to properly congratulate a graduating class is by singing a Whitney Houston classic._ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Nov 27, 2017 10:56 PM UTC by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Nov 27, 2017 10:56 PM UTC When [Will Ferrell](http://time.com/4689905/george-w-bush-will-ferrell-jimmy-kimmel/?iid=sr-link3) was asked to deliver the commencement address at the University of Southern California in May 2017, for no apparent reason, he ended the speech with a heart-stirring rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” When he stopped by _The Graham Norton Show_ over the weekend, he finally explained his reasoning. [Ferrell](http://time.com/4760752/will-ferrell-george-bush-impression-samantha-bee/?iid=sr-link2) — who appeared on the talk show with John Lithgow, Mel Gibson, and Mark Wahlberg — decided he wanted to “inspire” the graduating class, by singing the Houston song to them. “I started thinking, ‘Do I sing a couple of lines or do I torture the students and their parents by singing the entire song?’ and I chose the latter,” he explained. In addition to the song, Ferrell gave the graduating students sound advice: “I just told them to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and reach for the stars — which I read on the back of a cereal box.” The decision may have been spawned in part by nerves, after all Ferrell isn’t typically asked to preside over serious situations. “I hadn’t been put in that position before because usually I just make fun of things,” [Ferrell](http://time.com/4558659/will-ferrell-hillary-clinton-video/?iid=sr-link9) said, who graduated from USC in 1990 with a degree in [sports information](http://time.com/4574767/will-ferrell-anchorman-cubs-world-series-win/?iid=sr-link7). “A program so difficult, so arduous, that they discontinued the major eight years after I left,” he said during the commencement address where he received an honorary USC doctorate, thus requiring that his wife and children address him as “Dr. Ferrell.” “There will be no exceptions,” he joked, noting, “I think my fellow doctorates would agree, based on our achievements, we are all on equal footing.” ## Transcript Class of 2017, I just want you to know, you will never be alone on whatever path you may choose. If you do have a moment where you feel a little down, just think of the support you have from this great Trojan family, and imagine me. Literally, picture my face. [ LAUGH ] Singing this song, gently into your ear. So I'll go, but I know I'll think of you [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] And I will always love you. 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