Since Kenny Rogers’ family announced his passing on March 20, there have been no shortages of tributes to him on social media and elsewhere.
During April 5’s ACM: Our Country television special on CBS – which aired in place of the 55th Annual ACM Awards, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, and Luke Bryan all paid tribute to him. Paisley and Rucker teamed up for a duet to “Lucille” and The Gambler,” while Bryan performed “Coward of the County.”
A true legend like Rogers deserves much more than just a few minutes during a telecast, so CMT put together an entire special dedicated to just him, which aired on April 8 called CMT Giants: Kenny Rogers.
Normally, this type of tribute would be done live, with an entire audience, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, all the performances were filmed from each singers’ own house. The list of performers included Gavin DeGraw, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Jennifer Nettles, Lady Antebellum, Lionel Richie, Michael McDonald, Randy Houser, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, and of course, Dolly Parton.
One of the standout performances came from trio Lady Antebellum, who sang Rogers and Parton’s 1983 award-winning duet “Islands In The Stream.”
This marks Lady Antebellum’s third virtual performance since coronavirus has forced everyone inside – and they are absolute pros at it. Dave Haywood and their band kicked off the iconic musical intro, followed by Charles Kelley’s delivery of the opening lyrics.
Hillary Scott listened intently to her bandmates before jumping in with high harmonies. The entire performance was extremely enjoyable, so much so that once they start touring again, we hope they work this into the set list!
CMT Giants: Kenny Rogers not only served as a tribute to the country legend, but also as a fundraiser for those diagnosed with COVID-19. To make a donation in Rogers’ name, you can text KENNYCARES to 41444 or visit MUSICARES.ORG/KENNYCARES.
Watch Lady Antebellum’s performance of “Islands In The Stream” below.