The memory of country music icon Kenny Rogers lives on!
Fans of the beloved singer-songwriter have so much to look forward to that his posthumous album has been announced for release soon. The musical project will be filled with unreleased gems and rare tracks, including a collaboration with singer Dolly Parton. It would be the first album released in Rogers’ name since his death at 81.
A new Kenny Rogers album will be released posthumously in June
More than three years after Rogers passed away peacefully in his home, fans have begun gearing up for the bittersweet release of “Life Is Like A Song.” Described as “a breathtaking and moving song cycle that tells the story of love, life, loss and faith between Rogers and his family,” the June 2 project would feature eight songs.
The songs, taken from his archives and curated by his wife, Wanda Rogers, were recorded between 2008 and 2011. Some of the tracks include a rendition of Lionel Richie’s “Goodbye”, Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” and the very expected with Parton, “Tell me what you like”.
The project also includes the cover of the Temptations’ 1968 single, “I Wish It Would Rain,” and “Love Is a Drug,” which is a “hard-hitting, punchy country-rock anthem” written by American Music Laureate and collaborator longtime Kim Carnes.
Although several fans have taken to social media to express their joy over the upcoming album after PEOPLE broke the news, a look on Twitter revealed that a handful of fans had Rogers on their minds every day.
For example, this user downloaded a clip of “The Real West” narrator performing on stage in a wide-collared white shirt and brown suit, writing, “Kenny Rogers has the most satisfying voice in music.”
A second fan share a link to “The Gambler”, the single he released in 1979 as part of his “The Best Country Album In The World…Ever!” project, adding, “Too many memories with this song 🥰🤗.” A third fan interrogates:
“What happens after you finish listening to The Gambler by Kenny Rogers? You press “play again”.
“Someone called average Kenny Rogers and now my poor soul needs a band aid. How dare you,” a fourth person tweeted. A fifth Twitter user claims“Kenny Rogers is still a 10. RIP Kenny.”
It should be noted that the death of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame inductee was announced by his family in a statement which read:
“The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25 p.m. at the age of 81. Rogers died peacefully at home of natural causes under hospice care and surrounded by his family.”
The statement added that his family was planning a “small private service” due to restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. His family later invited fans to visit the ACM Award nominee’s final resting place at Oakland Cemetery.
The Country Music Association Awards winner was honored by Parton in March 2020
While most people felt Rogers’ loss through his music, others, like his longtime friend Parton, felt it on every level. The “Jolene” hitmaker opened up about how deep their bond was in the tribute she dedicated to the “You Decorated My Life” singer on Instagram shortly after his death. In the two-part clip, which she uploaded on March 21, 2020, the “Joyful Noise” actress is heard saying:
“I know we all know Kenny is in a better place than we are today, but I’m sure he’s going to talk to God someday today, if he isn’t already, and he’s going to ask her to shed some light on this darkness that’s going on here I loved Kenny with all my heart and my heart is broken.
Parton held up a framed picture of her and her beloved friend at one point, tearfully telling her to “fly high”. the explosion further noted that the “Coat of Many Colors” singer praised Rogers for being a “wonderful man and true friend” in the accompanying caption.
The post, which racked up more than 600,000 likes, saw thousands of viewers flood the ‘A Smoky Mountain Christmas’ actress with comments of support. While one person claimed the “Coward of the County” actor was staring at her, another asked him not to cry.
Several others have said they felt on top of the world listening to Rogers’ songs and appreciated him for his talent.