Dolly Parton Reacts to Kenny Rogers’ Death: ‘I Will Always Love You’
Dolly Parton has reacted to the death of her longtime collaborator and friend Kenny Rogers, calling him "a wonderful man and a true friend."
"You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone," Parton writes in a post to Facebook Saturday morning (March 21). "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."
"I loved Kenny with all my heart," Parton says in a somber video she shared alongside her statement. "My heart's broken, and a big ol' chunk of it has gone with him today."
Rogers died on Friday night (March 20) at the age of 81 surrounded by his loved ones at home, where he had been in hospice care. A statement attributed his death to natural causes.
Kenny Rogers + Dolly Parton Were Adorable Together – Watch:
Parton and Rogers collaborated many times over the years, most notably on "Islands in the Stream," their first and most successful duet, which was a career-changer for both of them when they released it in 1983. The song reached No. 1 across several genres and all over the world and launched both of them into mainstream crossover success.
They collaborated for the final time toward the very end of Rogers' career, when they released "You Can't Make Old Friends" in 2013. Parton appeared on stage at Rogers' final concert in Nashville in 2017.
Stars React to Kenny Rogers' Death
See Pictures of Kenny Rogers Through the Years: