Two years ago, on March 20, 2020, Kenny Rogers passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his close family members. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the memorial to honor his life and legacy had been delayed for two years. Yesterday morning in Atlanta, Georgia a small group of close friends, family, and band members gathered at Oakland Cemetery to pay their respects.
Held outdoors on the cemetery grounds on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, the ceremony was hosted by long time touring partners Linda Davis and Billy Dean. Rogers received a heartfelt and touching send off with over fifteen speakers spinning Kenny Rogers stories about a life well lived. The ceremony concluded with the Dr. T. Lynn Smith and Friends gospel choir singing “Amazing Grace” along with a pre-recorded Kenny Rogers vocal and a performance of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” a long time Kenny favorite. As the guests filed out, the event was punctuated with an Irish sendoff by Brigadier General (Ret.) Richard McPhee.
At the reception that immediately followed afterward, there was a special surprise. A brand new lyric video for the Kenny Rogers song “Goodbye” (written by Lionel Richie) was debuted for the first time ever to the invited guests.
Additionally, the Rogers family would like to extend a public invitation for fans to visit Kenny’s final resting place at the Oakland Cemetery.
In a career that spanned more than six decades, Kenny Rogers left an indelible mark on the history of American music. His songs have endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world. Chart-topping hits like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands In The Stream,” “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” and “Through the Years” are just a handful of Kenny Rogers’ songs that have inspired generations of artists and fans alike.
Rogers, with twenty-four number-one hits, was a Country Music Hall of Fame member, six-time CMA Awards winner, three-time GRAMMY Award winner, recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, CMT Artist of a Lifetime Award honoree in 2015, and has been voted the “Favorite Singer of All Time” in a joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.
Source: www.yahoo.com