Singer Kenny Rogers has died at 81, his family said in a statement Friday night.
The country music legend was known for hits including “The Gambler” and his duet with Dolly Parton, “Islands In The Stream.” He was a three-time Grammy winner and held six Country Music Association (CMA) awards.
Rogers died of natural causes while in hospice care at his home in Georgia, his family said. A private memorial service for his family has been planned, the statement said, but a public celebration of his life will be held at a later date out of concern over the coronavirus outbreak.
Rogers was born one of eight children in Houston, Texas. He began his recording career in the 1950s before finding commercial success in 1976 with the song “Lucille.”
Rogers put out 65 albums and sold more than 165 million records in the course of his career. His retirement concert, in 2017, was attended by Parton, Lionel Richie, Reba McEntire, and other renowned musicians. He stopped performing in 2018 due to health issues.
Following the news of his death, country music stars and fans paid tribute to Rogers on Twitter.
“I loved Kenny with all my heart, and my heart’s broken, and a big old chunk of it has gone with him today,” Parton said in a video Saturday morning. “I think that I can speak for all his family, his friends and fans when I say that I will always love you.”
Rogers is survived by his wife, Wanda Miller, and his five children.
Olivia Niland is a news reporter and curation editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
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