In honor of Kenny Rogers’ legendary career, the Recording Academy called upon his friend and colleague, Lionel Richie, to recognize his career during the In Memoriam montage during the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Richie took the stage to perform “Lady,” a track he wrote and Rogers later recorded as a major hit in his career. The R&B icon gave his most poignant vocals in honor of his friend, but also gave him a little shoutout at the end of his performance in memory of his mark on the music industry.
“Miss you, Kenny. I miss you bad,” Richie said with tears in his eyes to finish up his honorary performance.
The special moment was part of a In Memoriam segment during the broadcast. Brandi Carlile honored John Prine, Bruno Mars sang to Little Richard and Brittany Howard teamed up with Chris Martin for a performance of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Other country stars, such as Maren Morris and Mickey Guyton, took the GRAMMY stage to perform their respective singles right after the In Memoriam portion of the show.
Rogers passed away in March of 2021 under the care of hospice, according to a statement released by his family. Due to COVID-19, the family had a small ceremony to honor his life and legacy.
Check out the full list of country GRAMMY Awards winners on Sounds Like Nashville.