Kenny Rogers recently shared that he was not a fan of “Islands in the Stream” until Dolly Parton added her voice to it.
Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees originally wrote the song for Marvin Gaye but later pitched it to Rogers as a country song.
“The Gambler” legend told People that after “singing it for four days,” he wasn’t sold.
“I finally said, ‘Barry, I don’t even like this song anymore’ and he said, ‘You know what we need? We need Dolly Parton.’”
Rogers, now 79, recalled that his manager mentioned having just seen Parton in the same recording studio building. “I said, ‘Well, go get her!’ He went downstairs and she came marching into the room, and once she came in and started singing the song was never the same,” he said.
“It took on a personality of its own.”
Released in 1983, “Islands in the Stream” became a signature hit for the duo.
This week, they will perform the song at the All In for the Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration in Nashville. Other guest artists include Little Big Town, Idina Menzel and The Flaming Lips.