Friends and fans across
social media mourn the passing of Kenny
Rogers, country music legend.
Rogers was a Grammy-winning
balladeer who spanned country, folk, pop, and even jazz with hits such as
“Lady,” “Lucille,” “Islands in the Stream.” He,
later on, embraced his persona, “The Gambler” on TV and record. The
legendary country singer passed away at the ripe age of 81 on Friday night.
The Rogers family announced
the passing of the country singer on Twitter,
saying that he passed away “peacefully” under hospice care in Sandy Springs,
Georgia.
Keith Urban went online to
tweet is undiluted respects to “The Gambler,” on Saturday, thanking the singer
for “decades of collaborations and genre-bending music – for making music that
traveled around the world, and for songs that became common threads for people
from every walk of life!”
“Go rest higher brother,” Urban posted.
Dolly Parton Honors her Singing Partner
Dolly Parton made and posted
an emotional video tribute on the micro-site, Twitter. “I know that we
know that Kenny is a better place than we are today and I’m sure that he is
going to be talking to God sometime today…and he is going to be asking Him to
spread light on a bunch of this darkness,” Parton said in the Twitter
video.
“I loved Kenny with all
my heart. My heart is broken. A big old chunk of it has gone with him
today.” Dolly Parton got very emotional as she held up a lovely photograph
of her and the departed country singer.
“God bless you, Kenny,” she
added. “Fly high straight into the arms of God. To the rest of you, keep the
faith.”
Blake Shelton Remembers Rogers
Blake Shelton stated that
Rogers was always a “kind and fun” person. “I can express on
Twitter the overall impact that Kenny Rogers, the man and the artist had on
me,” the “Austin”
artist wrote. “He was always very kind and a fun person to be with. Rest In
Peace Gambler.”
Many Other Country Artists Pay Tribute to
Kenny Rogers
A lot of other country
artists went ahead to pay tribute to Kenny Rogers. Even music artists outside
the genre were not left out of it as they also paid tribute to the country
star.
“The world has lost a great
artist and interpreter of songs,” Bill Anderson who had the profound honor of
announcing Roger’s election into the Country Music Hall of Fame, said. “Even
after all the honors he had won, Rogers was truly excited about this one. There
is no doubt that his accomplishments will live forever.”
“I’m so sad to see Kenny
Rogers go,” added Richard Marx. “He did so much for me as a young
songwriter, and we remained friends for more than 30 years. I will really miss him.”
David Bellamy – from the
Bellamy brothers – also sent his thoughts to Roger’s family.
The Recording Academy and
Country Music Association also honored the late artist. “Kenny was one of
the artists that transcended beyond geographic borders and one format,”
Sarah Trahern, chief executive officer of the CMA said. “He was an
international superstar who helped introduce country music to audiences all
around the world.”
All across Twitter, fans of
country music and the legend reacted by sharing the hashtag
“RIPLegend” while recounting fond memories of Roger’s music.
Kenny Rogers was born in
Houston, Texas, and is immediately recognizable with his silver beard and husky
voice. He sold tens of millions of
records and was the star of TV movies which were based on “The Gambler,” and
other songs. He won three Grammys, making him a superstar in the 1970s and
‘80s.
