Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - "Islands in the Stream"

Kenny Rogers was a country music legend. His earthy voice, and smooth style made him famous in the 70’s and 80’s with hits like “The Gambler”, “Coward of the County”, and “Lady”. We lost him this week, on 3/20/20 he passed away and the music world will forever be changed.

Rogers embarked on a long and successful solo career, which included several successful collaborations, including duets with singers Dolly Parton and Sheena Easton, and a songwriting partnership with Lionel Richie. His signature song, 1978's "The Gambler", was a cross-over hit that won him a Grammy Award in 1980 and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. He would develop the Gambler persona into a character for a successful series of television films starting with 1980's Emmy-nominated Kenny Rogers as The Gambler.

Rogers' albums The Gambler and Kenny were featured in the About.com poll of "The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever". He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People. He received numerous awards such as the AMAs, Grammys, ACMs and CMAs, as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003. Later success included the 2006 album release, Water & Bridges, an across the board hit, that hit the Top 5 in the Billboard Country Albums sales charts, also charting in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "I Can't Unlove You", was also a sizable chart hit. Remaining a popular entertainer around the world, he continued to tour regularly until his retirement in 2017.

As a fun side note, this was the first song I ever “performed”. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my best friend Emily and I would go into the little restaurant attached to the local swimming pool and sit on the bar (this was the 80’s and they still let kids do things like that) and we would sing this song over in over for anyone who would listen. I’m not sure if you can deem in child labor, but I’m pretty sure they paid us in Shirley Temples.

Reid & Emily 1987

For reference here’s a photo of the two of us.

So today, feeling a lot like an island these days, I choose Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton’s “Islands In The Stream” as my, sail away with me, to another world, we’ll rely on each other, song for a, this too shall pass, walk with hope, hold on to each drop of happiness, Wednesday.