SOULMATES’ LAST DUET ‘I will always love you!’
Dolly Parton bids a sad farewell to her best friend Kenny Rogers
They were the world’s favourite country couple – crooners Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ partnership spanned over 30 years, and was made from the kind of magic that only happens once in a lifetime.
With Kenny’s death on March 20, a heartbroken Dolly shared the pain of losing her long-term collaborator and friend.
“I loved Kenny with all my heart. My heart is broken, a big ole chunk of it has gone with him today,” she said in a touching video tribute to the 81-year-old, who passed away at home with wife Wanda Miller, 52, by his side.
A MOVING TRIBUTE
“You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone,” Dolly, 74, also wrote in her Facebook post. “I’ve had so many wonderful years and wonderful times with my friend Kenny, but above all the music and the success I loved him as a wonderful man and a true friend. So you be safe with God and just know that I will always love you.”
Dolly and Kenny’s longstanding love story began in 1983 when the country stars recorded the hit “Islands in the Stream” – a duet that really only happened by chance.
While the pair had met in the past – Kenny’s band had appeared on her 1976 variety TV show Dolly! – they weren’t close friends, and it took prompting from another star to bring them together.
In fact, it was Bee Gees singer Barry Gibb, who co-wrote “Islands” with his brothers, who suggested to Kenny that he should perform the song as a duet with Dolly.
‘My heart is broken, a big ole chunk of it has gone with him’
“My manager said, ‘I just saw her downstairs,’” Kenny shared at the time. “So I said, ‘Go get her and bring her back.’ So he brought her back in and once she came in, that song was never the same. She lit it up and we became good friends from that point on.”
The song became a numberone hit all over the world and spawned one of the most iconic musical partnerships – and friendships – in the industry.
From that moment on, the duo were never far from each other’s side. They recorded a Christmas album together,
Once Upon a Christmas, in 1984. Their memorable duet
“Real Love” was released in 1985, and in 2013 they recorded “You Can’t Make Old Friends” for Kenny’s 27th studio album.
Personally, too, the pair forged a firm friendship – and despite rumours to the contrary, while they loved each other deeply, they never dated.
In 2013, Kenny said he and Dolly had just “flirted with each other for 30 years”.
“I’m not his type,” Dolly joked in 2017. “You know what, we were almost like brother and sister ... We’re really good friends. And we’re so much alike. We know the same people. We laugh at the same kind of jokes.”
That same year, Dolly also shared that her friendship with Kenny meant more to her than their hit records, and she described them as “soulmates”.
“I love his singing. I love his voice. I never tire of hearing him sing. And I think our voices blend great, so I’m really proud of the musical part of that as well,” she added.
During his final stage performance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in October 2017, Kenny had Dolly by his side for their hit “Islands”.
“I know I’m artificial, but I like to think my heart is real,” she said on stage. “I have a spot in my heart for Kenny that’s never ever going to be touched by anybody else.”
Last week, Dolly’s final goodbye to her much-loved friend was just as emotional.
“We all know that Kenny is in a better place than we are today,” she said.