‘I will always love you'

Dolly Parton bids a sad farewell to her best friend Kenny Rogers

They were the world’s favourite country couple – crooners Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ partnership spanned over 30 years, and was made from the kind of magic that only happens once in a lifetime.

With Kenny’s death on March 20, a heartbroken Dolly shared the pain of losing her long-term collaborator and friend.

“I loved Kenny with all my heart. My heart is broken, a big ole chunk of it has gone with him today,” she said in a touching video tribute to the 81-year-old, who passed away at home with wife Wanda Miller, 52, by his side.

A MOVING TRIBUTE

“You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone,” Dolly also wrote in a Facebook post. “I’ve had so many wonderful years and wonderful times with my friend Kenny, but above all the music and the success I loved him as a wonderful man and a true friend. So you be safe with God and just know that I will always love you.”

Dolly and Kenny’s longstanding love story began in 1983 when the country stars recorded the hit Islands In The Stream – a duet that really only happened by chance.