They really were the dream team.
Of course, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers famously worked together for decades, and were beloved both individually, and as a pair, by country music fans everywhere. They had a natural, undeniable chemistry, and of course, teamed up for one of the most iconic country songs of all-time, “Islands in the Stream,” in 1983.
Sadly, we lost Mrs. Dolly this past Tuesday after what her team called a “brief battle with cancer,” and the world lost a very bright, sparkly light, there is no doubt about that. There will never be another Dolly… she was one of one, a true original and the world is a lesser place now that she’s gone.
And while I still can’t really wrap my head around it, I have loved looking back on all of her amazing music and performances over the years, none more special than the ones she did with her lifelong friend, the aforementioned Kenny Rogers.
Their biggest hit “Islands in the Stream” was written by the Bee Gees and released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers’s fifteenth studio album Eyes That See in the Dark, and it eventually peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, giving each of Rogers and Parton their second pop number-one hit (Rogers had one with “Lady” in 1980 and Dolly had one with “9 to 5” in 1981).
In addition to that song, Kenny and Dolly put out a holiday album called Once Upon a Christmas in 1984, as well as another duet “Real Love” in 1985 that reached #1 on the country charts. In 2013, they put out their final duet, the touching song “You Can’t Make Old Friends.”
Because they had such an obvious connection, many fans wondered over the decades if there was anything beyond an innocent friendship between them, and in an interview many years ago with Dan Rather, Kenny told how the story of “Islands In The Stream” became a duet with Dolly. It had originally been written for an R&B singer, and after they passed on it, Kenny was going to sing it solo, but he could never get it quite right on his own:
He felt that if they would’ve ever “consummated” the relationship in any way, it would’ve ruined the magic and that’s all it was:
“I’m telling you, from the bottom of my heart. I met her husband, first of all, and I was married to Marianne through that whole time. What we did was, we flirted with each other for 30 years and it was much more electric. I think once you consummate a relationship like that, it loses something.
And she and I both believe that theory. So we did some massive flirting in front of the nation, but there was never anything more than that.”
I wholeheartedly believe they were truly great friends with a natural chemistry, and that is never more apparent than when they’re on stage together. They just had something so special, something you can’t quite put your finger on, which is what made that spark so rare. They were obviously beloved as solo artists, but became a massively beloved duo for obvious reasons though you have to watch it for yourself to really feel it all.
This performance of “Love Lifted Me” in 1976 was one of Kenny Rogers earliest solo appearances apart from a band, and the first time he worked with Dolly Parton. You feel that natural chemistry from the very first song, and I love how vintage the whole production is:
“Love Lifted Me” – 1976
Possibly their most electric performance, this rendition of “We’ve Got Tonight” took place in 1985 during their joint Real Love tour and was featured in their popular HBO concert special. The song was originally written by Bob Seger, actually, but Kenny Rogers had turned it into a massive 1983 duet hit with Sheena Easton.
But when he and Dolly went on tour together, Dolly sang Sheena’s parts, and she joked with the crowd during the song saying “Who needs Sheena Easton?” instead of “”Who needs tomorrow?”.
Dolly actually surprised Kenny, and the audience, by coming in from completely off stage, which thrilled Kenny, and I think this one honestly might be my favorite on this list:
“We Got Tonight” – 1985
Of course, their mega hit “Islands In The Stream” is beyond iconic, as is this performance they did at the CMA Awards in 1983. They were later nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year for three consecutive years from 1984-1986.
I mean, it’s an all-time classic to say the least:
“Islands In The Stream” – 1983
In 1988, Dolly and Kenny teamed up to do a medley of “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” and “Real Love.” They were all songs that Kenny sang with other women, and Dolly called it “The Other Woman Medley.”
Classic Dolly…
“We’ve Got Tonight,” “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” and “Real Love” – 1988
This one is a tearjerker. While it is a music video and not a live performance, there is footage at the beginning of them talking about their friendship over the years and how much they meant to each other.
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” was released in 2013, and was written by Ryan Hanna King, Don Schlitz, and Caitlyn Smith. It was the title track to Rogers’ 27th studio album, and went on to be nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
To see just how long they were collaborators and friends is simply incredible, and the world was better because of it:
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” – 2013
Of course, their final performance of “Islands in the Stream” from Kenny’s farewell concert All In For The Gambler in 2017 is just perfection. There will never be another duo like them. It’s pure magic watching them on stage together, even in their later years:
“Islands In The Stream” – 2017
I can only hope they’ve reunited and are making beautiful music together once again.
