Kenny Rogers Dead At 81

Kenny Rogers has died at the age of 81.

The country singer-songwriter and actor “passed away peacefully at home” in Sandy Springs, Georgia, “from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family” at 10:25 p.m. on Friday, his family announced via his social media profiles.

“In a career that spanned more than six decades, Kenny Rogers left an indelible mark on the history of American music,” Rogers’ family said in a statement shared online by the icon’s publicist.

It noted how the multi-Grammy Award winning artist’s songs including “The Gambler,” “Islands in the Stream” and “Through the Years” had “endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world.”

A small private service will be planned “out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency,” the family said, adding it would celebrate the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s life “publicly with his friends and fans at a later date.”

Fellow country music star LeAnn Rimes was among the first to pay tribute to Rogers, tweeting “you are and forever will be quite the legend.”

Houston-born Rogers, who was one of seven siblings, is survived by his wife, Wanda, sons Justin, Jordan, Chris and Kenny Jr., two brothers, a sister and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, his representative Keith Hagan told The Associated Press.