Kenny Rogers Honored By Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, & Luke Bryan Performances

Sunday, April 5, was supposed to be the night that country music took over Las Vegas. The ACM Awards were supposed to take place with Keith Urban serving as host for the very first time.

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But, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the awards show was postponed to Wednesday, September 16, with a location to be determined.

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Country fans, especially the ones who watch the show from home, were disappointed to know that there wouldn’t be a show to watch come April 5, but the Academy of Country Music quickly came up with an alternate plan. They put together a TV special called ACM Presents: Our Country, which aired in place of the ACM Awards on Sunday, April 5.

The TV special, hosted by Gayle King, featured many country artists performing acoustically from their own homes, along with “clips of top moments from the Academy’s 55-year history.”

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One of the performances, and quite possibly the most-talked about performance of the night, was the incredible tribute to Kenny Rogers, who passed away at the age of 81 on March 20.

Not only was Rogers considered a country legend, he is also a seven-time ACM Award winner. Check out the list below of his ACM Awards.

• 1977: Song of the Year – “Lucille”
• 1977: Single of the Year – “Lucille”
• 1977: Top Male Vocalist of the Year
• 1978: Top Make Vocalist of the Year
• 1978: Entertainer of the Year
• 1983: Top Vocal Duet (with Dolly Parton)
• 1983: Single of the Year – “Islands In The Stream”

Because Rogers released so many legendary songs, Our Country decided to choose not one, not two, but three songs to pay tribute to him. Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker teamed up – virtually – to sing “Lucille” and “The Gambler,” while Luke Bryan performed Rogers’ 1979 #1 song, “Coward of the County.”

Rucker and Paisley FaceTimed each other on their computers to perform the duet and although that may seem difficult, it went off without a hitch!

Bryan followed up with an acoustic performance from his home. After his song, Bryan expressed his love for Kenny Rogers saying, “We love you, Kenny! Thank you so much for all your musical contributions. We love you, buddy.”

Watch their tribute to the man who paved the way for so many below.