With tears in her eyes and holding a framed photo of her and Kenny Rogers close to her heart, Dolly Parton shared her grief and love for her late friend and collaborator with a heartfelt, heartbroken message with her fans. Rogers died of natural causes at the age of 81 on Friday (March 20).
“Well, I couldn’t believe it this morning when I got up and turned on the TV, checking to see what the Coronavirus was doing,” she says in the clip she shared on Saturday morning. “And they told me that my friend and singing partner, Kenny Rogers, had passed away. I know that we all know that Kenny is in a better place than we are today, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be talking to God some time today, if he ain’t already, and he’s going to be asking him to spread some light on a bunch of this darkness going on here.”
Parton and Rogers first teamed up on 1983’s smash (and Billboard Hot 100 No. 1) “Islands in the Stream,” and proceeded to record several duets together, their last being 2013’s “You Can’t Make Old Friends.”
“I loved Kenny with all my heart,” she continues. “And my heart is broken. A big ol’ chunk of it has gone with him today. I think that I can speak for all his family, his friends and fans, when I say that I will always love you.”
Watch Parton’s remembrance below.
