Vince Gill, Brad Paisley + Marty Stuart Open Grand Ole Opry With Kenny Rogers Tribute [WATCH]
Vince Gill, Brad Paisley and Marty Stuart opened their Saturday night (March 21) performance at the Grand Ole Opry with a tribute to Kenny Rogers, who died Friday night (March 20), at the age of 81. The trio began with an acoustic version of Rogers' "Sweet Music Man."
Gill offered a verse of "Sweet Music Man" solo before Paisley and Stuart harmonized with him on the song's fitting chorus: "Nobody sings a love song quite like you do / Nobody else can make me sing along / Nobody else can make me feel like things are right when I know they're wrong / Nobody sings a love song quite like you." Press play above to watch.
"Sweet Music Man" comes from Rogers' 1977 album Daytime Friends. Rogers wrote the Top 10 country hit solo. Paisley covered a chorus of the song on his social media pages earlier in the day in tribute to Rogers as well.
The trio's "Sweet Music Man" performance is one of a number of tributes to Rogers following his death on Friday (March 20), at the age of 81. Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis and many more shared fond memories and expressed sadness over Rogers' passing on social media, while Dolly Parton -- Rogers' dear friend and collaborator -- offered some heartfelt words of remembrance in a video. Also at the Opry on Saturday night, Paisley included a bit of Rogers' "The Gambler" in a performance of his own song "This Is Country Music."
Rogers is survived by his wife, Wanda Miller, and their two children, along with three other children from previous marriages. As Rogers died during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, his family is planning a small, private service for the time being; however, per a statement, they "look forward to celebrating Kenny’s life publicly with his friends and fans at a later date."
The coronavirus pandemic is also affecting the way the Grand Ole Opry hosts shows. All Opry shows except for those on Saturday night are currently canceled, and the Saturday night shows are being performed without an audience and with minimal cast and crew present, all of whom are practicing social distancing and other safety measures while on hand.
LOOK: Kenny Rogers Through the Years