Carrie Underwood & Kenny Rogers Once Surprised Dolly Parton With An “Islands In The Stream” Duet
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Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers are responsible for bringing us one of the greatest duets ever made, “Islands in the Stream.” But it’s funny to think that, if things had gone according to plan, it would have been an R&B song.
When the Bee Gees wrote “Islands in the Stream,” they wrote it with R&B singer Marvin Gaye in mind. But instead of Gaye, it was Rogers who ended up cutting the song for his 1983 album Eyes that See in the Dark.
Rogers enlisted Parton’s help, and the rest is history. “Islands in the Stream” hit number one on both the country and pop charts, making it one of the biggest hits of Rogers’ and Parton’s careers.
It was the first duet they ever recorded together. The song helped solidify a decades-long friendship between the pair, who remained close until Rogers died in 2020. Parton passed away six years later.
Carrie Underwood Brings Out Kenny Rogers During Tribute To Dolly Parton
So when Dolly Parton was one of the honorees at the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors, it only made sense for someone to honor her with “Islands in the Stream.” The song returned as a tribute to Dolly nearly twenty years later, when Lady A performed it during the CMA’s televised celebration of her life.
That someone was Carrie Underwood, who had won American Idol a little over a year prior.
Underwood’s beautiful voice soared through the first part of the song, which was originally performed by Rogers. Parton was clearly impressed with what she heard, and could be seen smiling and clapping as Underwood sang.
But Parton’s happiness turned to overwhelming joy and delight the second Underwood welcomed a special guest on stage. That guest was none other than Rogers himself!
Parton literally jumped out of her chair at the sight of her friend. He sang her portion of the song before he and Underwood started singing together. The two of them blew kisses to Parton once they were done singing, and Parton was clearly overwhelmed with happiness.
If you need something to brighten up your day, then this will do the trick. Watch the videos below to see how Dolly Parton reacted when Carrie Underwood and Kenny Rogers surprised her with their performance.
