LOS ANGELES: Legendary country music singer Kenny Rogers, best known for global hits such as "Lucille", "Lady", "The Gambler" and "Islands in the Stream", has passed away at his residence in Sandy Springs, Georgia. He was 81.
The veteran singer was under hospice care and died of natural causes, his family said in a statement posted on Roger's official Facebook page.
The family further said they are planning a small private service "out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency".
In a career spanning six decades, Rogers won three Grammys and six CMA Awards. He was known for his husky voice and ballads including "The Gambler". The song later spawned a TV movie in which he also starred.
His other hits included "You Decorated My Life," "Every Time Two Fools Collide", "Don't Fall In Love with a Dreamer" and "Coward of the County."
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and the same year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association.
Rogers had announced a farewell tour in 2015 but had continued performing until 2017. He was married five times and had five children.