Dolly Parton Shares Tearful Tribute To Kenny Rogers: ‘I Will Always Love You’

“Fly high straight to the arms to of God.”

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

March 21, 2020

9:39 am

Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers; Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Like many of us, Dolly Parton awoke to the unfortunate news of Kenny Rogers’ death on Saturday morning. The superstar and Rogers were longtime friends and often recorded and shared the stage together. Understandably, Parton is heartbroken over his passing. She took to social media to share an emotional tribute to her dear friend.

“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 and they told me that my friend and singing partner Kenny Rogers had passed away,” she began. “I know that we all know that Kenny is in a better place than we are today. But I am pretty sure he’s gonna be talking to God some time today, if he ain’t already, and he’s gonna be asking him to spread some light on a bunch of this darkness going on here.”

Parton went on to explain the heart wrenching emotions she was experiencing.

“I loved Kenny with all my heart. My heart is broken. A big ‘ole chunk of it has gone with him today,” she said. “I think that I can speak for all his family, his friends and fans when I say that I will always love you.”

Parton then held up a frame showcasing a photo of herself and Rogers. As tears welled up in her eyes, she closed her message with a final word to Rogers.

“God bless you, Kenny. Fly high straight to the arms to of God.”

Rogers died on Friday evening (March 20) of natural causes. He was 81 years old.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.