The beloved man who many knew as “The Gambler” and who championed a career in country music that lasted more than half a century passed away on March 20th, 2020 at the age of 81.
Kenny Rogers was truly a marvelous singer and in the wake of his unexpected passing, many of his colleagues and close friends took to social media to mourn him. Over the decades, he charted more than 120 hit singles across various genres and had a successful series of duets and TV specials with Dolly Parton.
In the days since his passing, Kenny Rogers’ family has issued a statement to all of his fans and friends after seeing the immense support coming from the millions of people who loved him.
“The Rogers family would like to thank you for the generous outpouring of love and support coming in from all over the world these past two days,” the family wrote on Twitter. “It’s a beautiful reminder of the impact Kenny & his music has had & will continue to have on so many.”
Even Rogers’ close friend and duet partner, Dolly Parton, spoke openly about his passing and summed up her feelings in a simple sentence: “My heart is broken.”
Following Rogers’ passing, CMT has released a video of he and Dolly singing their most famous song, “Islands in the Stream” for fans to enjoy.
See the full statement from the Rogers family below along with the duet.
The Rogers family would like to thank you for the generous outpouring of love and support coming in from all over the world these past two days. It’s a beautiful reminder of the impact Kenny & his music has had & will continue to have on so many. #SweetMusicMan
Pic: Randy Dorman pic.twitter.com/BSEc4Hw99D— Kenny Rogers (@_KennyRogers) March 22, 2020