Kenny Rogers’ family pays emotional tribute to Dolly Parton: ‘We will ALWAYS love you’

The family and team of late country music legend Kenny Rogers have paid an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton, remembering the friendship and musical bond shared by the two stars.

In a statement titled Our Dearest Dolly, the Rogers family reflected on a relationship that went far beyond Parton and Rogers’ celebrated musical collaborations.

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‘As genuine as it could possibly be’

Rogers and Parton famously sang together on the 1983 hit Islands in the Stream.

Their friendship also inspired You Can’t Make Old Friends, which the pair released in 2013.

The Rogers family said the feelings expressed through their music reflected the genuine friendship between the two stars.

“When the two of you sang about being islands in the stream who together had found peace unknown, having real love for each other as true friends who would always stand by each other, and how you just can’t make old friends, it was always as genuine as it could possibly be…coming straight from the heart and reflecting what you both felt for each other,” the statement reads.

Remembering Dolly Parton’s spirit

The family thanked Parton for the joy, laughter, music and stories she shared with millions of people throughout her career.

“Your irreplaceable spirit of compassion, positivity, friendliness, and immense generosity will live on with your remarkable legacy,” they said.

The tribute also reflected on Parton’s faith and the family’s belief that her death marked a spiritual reunion.

“We must accept that you’ve simply traded your butterfly wings in for angel wings,” the family wrote.

‘We will think of you every step of the way’

While the statement expressed the family’s grief, it also celebrated Parton’s life and the impact of her work.

“Though we write this through tears and feelings of extraordinary grief and sadness, at the same time we realize how thankful we are that you were able to live such a vibrant and meaningful life using your many God-given talents,” they said.

The Rogers family ended its tribute with a message drawing on another song closely associated with Parton.

“Dolly, we will think of you every step of the way…and we will ALWAYS love you!”

The statement was signed by The Rogers Family & Team KR, marking a final tribute to a friendship that produced some of country music’s most enduring collaborations.

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