Dolly Parton to join Kenny Rogers for farewell performance

Kenny Rogers’ longtime duet partner and friend Dolly Parton will be among those helping the Gambler close out his career with a star-packed October show in Nashville.

The two have worked together since 1983, when they collaborated on “Islands in the Stream,” which became a No. 1 hit.

“We’ve enjoyed a special friendship for decades, and I’ll forever look back fondly on the many collaborations, performances, and laughs we’ve shared as some of the most extraordinary moments of my career,” 78-year-old Rogers said of Parton in a Tuesday statement. “I know it will be a moving experience for us standing on that stage together for one last time.”

Their final “Islands in the Stream” duet will happen Oct. 25 in Nashville during the “All in for the Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration.” Other acts so far include Little Big Town, Alison Krauss, the Flaming Lips and Elle King, with more names expected as the date approaches. The show will be taped for broadcast at a later date.

“This is all I’ve done for 60 years, but my mobility has gotten kind of strange, and I don’t like to go on stage and have to apologize,” Rogers told Rolling Stone. “It’s one of those things — you make decisions based on what life gives you. I’ve had a great life, I can’t complain, but it’s time for me to hang it up, I think.”

Parton said in a statement that since 1983, “everyone has had an expectation to see Kenny everywhere I go and me with him wherever he goes,” even though, according to Rolling Stone, they’ve performed together only three times in the last 27 years.

“Well, I guess for many of those fans that wanted to see us together, this will be that night,” she said.