“Let me be your Sweet Music Man,” Kenny crooned, channeling the wistful spirit inspired midair beside Jessi Colter into a melody that resonated across decades, fueling Dolly Parton’s poignant cover, Waylon Jennings’s stripped-down live take , and Reba McEntire’s stirring rendition—a testament to how a single lyric born on a flight became country music lore.

Introduction

In 1977, Kenny Rogers sat next to Waylon Jennings‘ wife Jessi Colter on a flight to Nashville from Los Angeles. During their conversation, Colter opened up about some of the troubles she was having in her marriage to Jennings, and Rogers later turned their talk into a song, “Sweet Music Man.”

I wouldn’t listen, and I couldn’t see
And all I have left now are words you said to me
Sing me a song, sweet music man
‘Cause I won’t be there to hold your hand like I used to
I’m through with you

You’re a hell of a singer and a powerful man
But you surround yourself
With people who demand so little of you

You touched my soul with your beautiful song
You even had me singing along right with you
You said, “I need you”
Then you changed the words, and that harmony
And you sang that song you’d written for me
To someone new

But nobody sings a love song quite like you do
And nobody else can make me sing along
And nobody else can make me feel
That things are right when you know they’re wrong
Nobody sings a love song quite like you

Behind “Sweet Music Man”
Released as the first single from Rogers‘ 1977 album Daytime Friends, “Sweet Music Man” went to No. 9 on the Country chart, but by the time he finished writing it, the song was much about his life during this period, and reveals some of the unspoken vulnerabilities of being an artist.

“It started out about Waylon,” said Rogers, “but by the time I finished it, it was about me.”

At the time, Rogers was at a low point in his career and struggling, which bled into the lyrics. “It was really basically how I felt about myself,” said Rogers. “But it was a time that was a very low period in my life. That particular song says everything I wanted to say.”

Rogers added, “‘Sing me a song, sweet music man,’” said Rogers. “I really think that I felt that about myself, that I really believe that if I stay in here, I can make this thing work. It was against insurmountable odds at the time, but it’s amazing what a little confidence can do, and a lot of good luck.”

In the years and decades after its release, “Sweet Music Man” was covered by dozens of artists in and out of country music. Here’s a look behind five of the most memorable renditions by some of Rogers’ closest friends and collaborators—and Jennings himself.

Dolly Parton (1977)

Dolly Parton released a version of “Sweet Music Man” on her 1977 album, Here You Come Again. Aside from some lighter pop inflections to lighten the mood of the lyrics, Parton remained faithful to Rogers’ rendition. Decades later, Parton performed “Sweet Music Man” with Alison Krauss during a 2010 concert celebrating Roger’s 50 years in music.

Within 30 years, Rogers and Parton recorded five duets together, from the 1980s through the 2010s, including their 1983 No. 1 hit “Islands in the Stream” from his album Eyes That See in the Dark, along with a 1984 collaborative holiday album, Once Upon a Christmas, “Real Love” in 1985, “Love is Strange,” the title track of Rogers’ 1990 album, and “Undercover” from his 25th released Back to the Well in 2003.

In 2013, Parton and Rogers reunited for what became their final duet together, the title track of Rogers’ 2014 album, You Can’t Make Old Friends.

“You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone,” said Parton following Rogers’ death in 2020 at age 81. “I’ve had so many wonderful years and wonderful times with my friend Kenny, but above all, the music and the success. I loved him as a wonderful man and a true friend. So you be safe with God and just know that I will always love you.”

Tammy Wynette (1977)

In 1977, Tammy Wynette also recorded “Sweet Music Man” for her album, One of a Kind. A year later, Rogers borrowed Wynette’s 1976 Country chart topper, “‘Til I Can Make It on My Own,” and recorded it as a duet with Dottie West on their collaborative album Every Time Two Fools Collide.

Waylon Jennings (1980)

A few years after the release of Rogers’ song, Waylon Jennings released the album Music Man, which featured his iconic “Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys).” The album went to No. 1 on the Country chart and features Jennings’ rendition of “Sweet Music Man.”