Kenny Rogers' Widow Wanda Opens Up for the First Time After Losing Singer: 'I Miss Everything About Him' (Exclusive)

Wanda Rogers, who recently curated an album of previously unreleased Kenny Rogers material, reflects on life now in this week's issue of PEOPLE

In the Rogers household, Saturdays were sacred.

Each week, country legend Kenny Rogers would take his twin sons Justin and Jordan out for what they called "Super Saturday"; the day would begin with a McDonald's breakfast and end at Chuck E. Cheese after a trip to the car wash.

It's the little things like that, the down-to-earth moments far from the stages that made him famous, that his family misses most since the star's death in March 2020 at age 81.

"You would think Kenny was the most average guy. He was never pretentious, and he sort of taught [the boys] that. He never needed any special attention," his widow Wanda, in her first interview since his death, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "I miss his love, his support. I miss his touch. I miss everything about him. I wish we could have that one last conversation just to say, 'Are you good? Are you okay?'"

For Wanda, the past three years have been a journey in not only wading through grief, but in finding ways to keep Rogers' memory and legacy alive. In June, she curated an album culled from the singer's archives called Life Is Like a Song, compiling deeply personal tracks that he recorded between 2008 and 2011.

"I want to make sure his legacy grows and stays alive," she says. "I think Kenny would be beyond happy and proud of the album. Kenny's whole thing was he always wanted to say in a song what every man wanted to say and every woman wanted to hear. I think this would fall right into that category."

Among the songs on the record is "Goodbye," written by Rogers' close friend Lionel Richie, who lived with the country star for years in Los Angeles after launching his solo career, after the death of his father.

Wanda says the "All Night Long" singer has been a beacon of support during a difficult time, and still calls every 10 days or so to offer advice on staying positive amid dark days.

"When things are tough, you know who your real friends are. And I think he knew," she says. "[Lionel] is truly Kenny's brother. He definitely just wants to make sure that I'm always okay and the boys are okay and he just has the biggest heart."

It was Rogers' big heart that first drew Wanda to her future husband back in 1993, when Rogers, on a blind date with another woman, stopped by the Atlanta restaurant where she was working as a hostess. The singer was instantly taken, and called the restaurant later with a message asking after Wanda.

Related: Kenny Rogers' Twin Sons Resemble Late Singer as They Graduate High School — See the Photo

"The bartenders always would play jokes on me. They said, 'Oh, Kenny Rogers called back,' and they gave me a note," she recalls. "I balled it up and threw it in a trash can, and they went diving after it. I thought, 'Maybe they're not joking.' It all started out like that, [but] we just became really close and it grew from there."

Though their age gap initially made Wanda think they'd probably end up just being friends, their relationship blossomed as she fell for his boundless optimism and zest for life. They tied the knot in 1997, and welcomed Justin and Jordan in 2004.

After nearly 30 years together, their final day was spent at home, watching movies and eating Rogers' favorite dish, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.

Looking back, Wanda says that losing him at home is a surprising source of comfort, and that she still re-reads journal entries she made that day in an effort to preserve every last detail of their time together.

Related: Posthumous Kenny Rogers Album to Feature Unreleased Songs 3 Years After His Death

"I still get choked up reading it, but it does give me happiness that it was a day full of ice cream and movies," she says. "With him passing away at home, you don't know how it affects kids. And Justin said the next morning, 'Mom, one thing about dad passing away at home…' And I thought, 'Uh-oh.' And he said, 'His sweet spirit will be here forever.' And I was like, 'High five to that. Yes, absolutely it will.'"

Her sons, now 19, speak often of their father, sharing memories and stories that make the family feel like he’s still with them. They speak to him, too, in prayer, and are pleasantly surprised to find that his music pops up often in restaurants, at the grocery store and even in hotel lobbies.

Though her family is happy, Wanda says there’s still a sense of guilt knowing she gets to see milestones that Rogers won't, like the boys' high school graduation in June.

"The boys went deep-sea fishing for the first time, and it was just me and a couple of girls that took them, and I still felt bad," she says. "I felt like Kenny should be there. It really gets me still."

Even so, Wanda remains certain that Rogers is watching his family grow, wherever he may be.

"There are little red birds around our house, and we can be talking about Kenny and one will land right on the balcony looking in the window. Everywhere we go, it's red birds," she says. "One thing Lionel said was, 'You don't have to ask for signs. It may not come right away, but you will get signs.' And that's ours."

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