Dolly Parton Performed 'I Will Always Love You' As A Tribute To Kenny Rogers At His Farewell Concert

Mar 24, 2020

In Kenny Rogers’ last appearances on stage, Dolly Parton sang her signature ballad I Will Always Love You to commemorate the end of the country star’s career at his 2017 farewell concert in Nashville, Tennessee. Rogers passed away on Mar. 20, 2020, at the age of 81 at his home in Georgia.

Since the 1980s when the well-known country duo released their iconic duet Islands in the Stream, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton were close friends both on and off the stage. Throughout their decades-long friendship, they continued to collaborate on country hits that would appeal to a wider audience until 2017 when Rogers’ farewell concert marked the end of his musical career, according to Rolling Stone. It would be the last time the two friends performed together before Rogers’ passing.

Joining a star-studded lineup of country greats at the farewell concert, including Reba McEntire, Lady Antebellum and Lionel Richie, Parton finally took the stage with Rogers three hours into the show, according to People. In what might have been the show’s most touching moment in front of the sold-out Bridgestone Arena audience, Parton decided to serenade her lifelong friend -- a heartfelt tribute to the man behind the country legend.  

“I’ve always thought there’s a part of me that’s never, ever going to be touched by anybody else, and I’m going to hold you there forever, and I’m going to sing you a song,” Parton said on stage in 2017 before breaking into song, according to People. 

In what seemed to be a direct message to Rogers, who looked on from the side, Parton began to sing her ‘70s classic, I Will Always Love You. But the duo could not end the night on that bittersweet note. There was just one more song they had to perform, the unforgettable duet that brought them together: Islands in the Stream. In what would be Rogers’ last public performance ever, he joined his good friend for what some consider one of the best duets of all time. After the song, the two country legends closed out the night in front of a massive crowd by literally dropping their mics as they exited the stage, marking an end to Rogers’ 60-year career in which the star made a name for himself as one of the kings of modern country music. In the wake of Rogers’ recent passing, it’s no wonder that Rogers has received an outpour of tributes from family, friends, fans and Dolly Parton herself.

In a tribute video Parton posted to Instagram, she said goodbye to her old friend, repeating her song’s signature line and echoing the two’s final performance together.

“I loved Kenny with all my heart,” Parton said in the video. “And my heart is broken. A big ol’ chunk of it has gone with him today. I think that I can speak for all his family, his friends, and fans, when I say that I will always love you.”

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