Dolly Parton has paid another heartfelt tribute to her long-time friend and collaborator Kenny Rogers.
WATCH: Dolly Parton’s sweet tribute to Kenny Rogers
In a poignant performance on CMT’s GIANTS Kenny Rogers: A Benefit For MusiCares, a concert during which Parton, clad in white and surrounded by candles, paid tribute to her departed friend by his song Sweet Music Man.
Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar as she delivered a wistful, emotional rendition of the song, which was one of Rogers’ signature tunes.
She dropped her voice to a whisper as she brought the song to a close with, “Sing your song, sweet music man / I believe in you.”
Parton joined Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell, Vince Gill and more stars in remote performances for the concert, a special to honour the life and musical legacy of country and pop superstar, Rogers who died on March 20 at the age of 81 from natural causes.
Money raised by the show was given to the MusiCares COVID-19 relief fund.
Parton and Rogers collaborated several times over the decades, most notably on Islands in the Stream, their first and most successful duet from 1983.
The song reached No. 1 across several genres and all over the world.
They worked together for the final time toward the very end of Rogers’ career when they released You Can’t Make Old Friends in 2013, and Parton appeared on stage at Rogers’ final concert in Nashville in 2017.
Parton turned to social media on March 21 to remember Rogers as “a wonderful man and a true friend.”
“You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone,” Parton wrote in a post to Facebook. “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 said in a sombre video she posted alongside her statement. “My heart’s broken, and a big ol’ chunk of it has gone with him today.”
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