WATCH | The Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers song that made them darlings in SA in the 80s
Country music legend Dolly Parton died on Monday at the age of 80. She was loved by music lovers from the US to South Africa.
Her musical partner, Kenny Rogers, died of natural causes in March 2020 at the age of 81. Both left an indelible mark on the music industry.
At the height of big hair, shoulder pads and The Bold and the Beautiful on South African television, Parton and Rogers were a staple on television music show, with their song Island in the Stream on high rotation.
They represented the era to perfection with the simple melodies and deep lyrics, all while making country music popular among their local audiences.
They followed up Islands in the Stream with another hit We’ve Got Tonight, cementing themselves in the hearts of South Africans.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 25, 2026The way Kenny Rogers’ whole face lights up the moment he hears Dolly Parton’s voice coming from offstage.
I have always loved this performance so much. pic.twitter.com/Y9cSd8c1Nh
Before her passing, it seems Parton was thinking about Rogers and the song that made them a ballad duo of note. Her last Instagram post celebrated the 43rd anniversary of Islands in the Stream.
Parton died after a brief battle with cancer in Nashville on Tuesday, 25 August, surrounded by loved ones.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.