Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Kenny Rogers' family is paying tribute to him on the one-year anniversary of hisdeath.
On Saturday, in asocial media statementaddressed from “the Rogers Family & Team KR,” those close to the late country music icon thanked fans for their support as they reminisced about a year spent without “The Gambler” singer.
“It’s so hard to believe it’s been a year since Kenny left us. As you can imagine, some days are better than others, so we wholeheartedly thank you for your thoughts, prayers and support over the last year,” the statement began. “It means so much to us.”
“The memories of Kenny and the kind words you’ve shared have inspired and uplifted us… brought tears to our eyes and made us laugh,” the statement continued. “No matter what we’re going through on any particular day, we know we will never stop missing him, and we’ll forever celebrate the person he was and his extraordinary musical legacy.”
“We can all take some comfort in knowing the music lives on!” the statement concluded, adding the hashtag, “#sweetmusicman” at the end of the post.
Rogers died on March 20, 2020, at the age of 81 from natural causes.
His family announced the news of his passing in asocial media statementthe following day.
“The family is planning a small private service at this time out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency. They look forward to celebrating Kenny’s life publicly with his friends and fans at a later date,” the statement added.
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During the In Memoriam segment, Richie, 71, honored Rogers and delivered a rendition of his late friend’s love ballad “Lady” in recognition of the country icon.
During the segment, the Recording Academy alsopaid tributeto the late Bill Withers, Betty Wright, K.T. Oslin, Tony Rice, Eddie Van Halen, Mary Wilson, Bonnie Pointer, Mac Davis, Helen Reddy, McCoy Tyner, Charley Pride and Charlie Daniels.
Richie previouslypaid tribute to his late friendfollowing the news of Rogers' death in March 2020, posting some of his favorite throwback photos of the pair, including the times they shared the stage together.
“Today I lost one of my closest friends 💔 So much laughter so many adventures to remember, my heart is broken. My prayers go out to Kenny’s Family,” Richie wrote on Instagram and Twitter at the time.
source: people.com
