On this day (October 29) in 1983, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton started a two-week run at No. 1 on the pop and country charts with “Islands in the Stream.” Earlier in the month, the single reached the top of the Adult Contemporary chart, where it stayed for four weeks.
While both Rogers and Parton were established country stars by 1983, “Islands in the Stream” didn’t start as a country song. It was written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb–the Bee Gees–for Marvin Gaye. However, the soul icon chose not to record the song. At the time, Barry Gibb was producing Rogers’ album Eyes That See in the Dark, his first for RCA. So, he pitched the song to Rogers. He liked the song, but couldn’t get the vocals right.
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According to Songfacts, Gibb decided the song should be a duet. As luck would have it, Rogers’ label mate and fellow country superstar Dolly Parton was in the studio at the time. His management worked out the details, and she added her voice to the song.
The pair had met in passing, but had never had a conversation before recording “Islands in the Stream.” The recording session was the beginning of a decades-long friendship. It was also the root of rumors that the two stars were having an affair.
Kenny Rogers Shares the Truth About His Relationship with Dolly Parton
Watching Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton performed “Islands in the Stream” was like watching two lovers sing to one another. They were expert performers and had great chemistry. However, they were never more than friends.
“We flirted with each other for thirty years,” Rogers said. “We did some massive flirting in front of the nation, but there was never anything more than that.”
In 2013, they recorded the Grammy-nominated “You Can’t Make Old Friends.” It was a much better reflection of their relationship. Don Schiltz, Ryan Hanna King, and Caitlyn Smith wrote the song about them.
Featured Image by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
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