Kenny Rogers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kenny Rogers
Rogers in January 1997
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Ray Rogers
Born	(1938-08-21)August 21, 1938 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	March 20, 2020(2020-03-20) (aged 81) Colbert, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Country pop adult contemporary soft rock easy listening
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actor record producer entrepreneur
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass guitar harmonica fiddle
Years active	1957–2017
Labels	Cue Carlton Mercury United Artists Giant Reprise Atlantic Liberty Curb RCA Dreamcatcher Capitol WEA Warner Bros.
Associated acts	The Scholars The Bobby Doyle Trio The New Christy Minstrels The First Edition Dolly Parton Dottie West Barry Gibb Kim Carnes David Foster Lionel Richie Mel Tillis

Kenneth Ray Rogers (born August 21, 1938 – died March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and businessman. He was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Kenny Rogers was very successful with country music fans. However, he had over 120 hit songs in many different music styles. His albums were number one on music charts for over 200 weeks in the United States. He sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians ever.

Rogers began his music career in the late 1950s. He first sang with jazz musician Bobby Doyle. In 1961, he joined a folk group called the New Christy Minstrels. He played the double bass and sang with them. In 1967, he and some other members left to form a new group, the First Edition. Their first big hit was "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)". This was a psychedelic rock song that reached number five on the Billboard charts.

As Kenny Rogers became more of a leader in the First Edition, their music style slowly changed to country. This happened after their 1969 hit song "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town". The band broke up around 1975–1976. After that, Kenny Rogers started a very successful solo career. He sang many popular duets with other stars like Dolly Parton and Sheena Easton. He also wrote songs with Lionel Richie. His most famous song, "The Gambler" (1978), was a hit in both country and pop music. It won him a Grammy award in 1980. This song was so important that it was chosen in 2018 to be kept in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. Kenny Rogers also played "The Gambler" character in a successful series of TV movies. The first one, Kenny Rogers as The Gambler (1980), was even nominated for an Emmy.

Two of his albums, The Gambler and Kenny, were named among "The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever." In 1986, readers of USA Today and People voted him "Favorite Singer of All Time." He won many awards, including AMAs, Grammys, ACMs, and CMAs. In 2003, he received a lifetime achievement award for his career, which lasted six decades. His 2006 album, Water & Bridges, was a big hit. It reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. It also charted in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200. The first song from that album, "I Can't Unlove You", was also a popular hit. Kenny Rogers remained a popular performer worldwide. He continued to tour regularly until he retired in 2017.

He also acted in many movies and TV shows. His most famous roles were in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler and the MacShayne series. He also starred in the 1982 movie Six Pack. He helped start the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters with John Y. Brown Jr., who used to be the CEO of KFC.

Kenny Rogers' Early Life and Music Journey

The Gambler album was released in December 1978.

Kenny Rogers was born in Houston, Texas. He was the fourth of eight children. His mother, Lucille Lois, was a nurse's assistant. His father, Edward Floyd Rogers, was a carpenter. Kenny Rogers had Irish and Native American family roots. He went to Wharton Elementary School.

Love Lifted Me was Kenny Rogers' first solo album in 1976.

Kenny Rogers' recording career began in the 1950s. He started with teenage rock'n'roll, then moved to psychedelic rock. Later, he became a country-pop star in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1957, he had a small solo hit called "That Crazy Feeling." When sales slowed down, Rogers joined a jazz group called The Bobby Doyle Three. This group was popular and played in many clubs.

The group recorded music for Columbia Records. They broke up in 1965. In 1966, Rogers recorded a jazzy rock song called "Here's That Rainy Day" for Mercury Records, but it was not a hit. Rogers also worked as a producer, writer, and musician for other artists. These included country singers Mickey Gilley and Eddy Arnold. In 1966, he joined the New Christy Minstrels as a singer and double bass player.

Becoming a Solo Star

Cover art for the single "Coward of the County".

In 1976, Kenny Rogers signed a solo music deal with United Artists. Producer Larry Butler and Rogers started working together. Their partnership lasted for four years. Rogers' first album for his new label was Love Lifted Me. The album became popular, and two songs from it, "Love Lifted Me" and "While the Feeling's Good," were small hits. The song "Runaway Girl" was also used in the movie Trackdown.

Kenny was Kenny Rogers' eighth studio album, released in 1979.

Later in 1976, Rogers released his second album, which was self-titled, Kenny Rogers. The first song from this album, "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)", was another solo hit.

The song "Lucille" (1977) was a huge hit. It reached number one on the pop music charts in 12 countries. It sold over five million copies. This song firmly started Rogers' successful solo career after the First Edition. Because "Lucille" was so popular, the album Kenny Rogers reached No.1 on the Billboard Country Album Chart. More success followed, including the album The Gambler, which sold millions of copies. Another international Number 1 song was "Coward of the County". This song was from the equally popular album, Kenny.

Retirement from Music

Rogers' final concert in Nashville included a special appearance by his long-time friend Dolly Parton.

In 2015, Kenny Rogers announced his farewell tour, called The Gambler's Last Deal. He said at the time that his last tour appearance would be on NBC's Today show. Concerts were planned until 2018. They included shows in the United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. On April 5, 2018, it was announced that Rogers had to cancel his remaining tour. Doctors advised him to stop due to some health issues.

Rogers' very last concert in Nashville was on October 25, 2017. It took place at the Bridgestone Arena. Many guest artists joined him on stage. These included Linda Davis, Elle King, Little Big Town, Lionel Richie, Billy Currington, Lee Greenwood, The Flaming Lips, The Oak Ridge Boys, Justin Moore, Travis Tritt, The Judds, Kris Kristofferson, Alison Krauss, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Idina Menzel, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, and Jamey Johnson.

Six Pack is a 1982 American comedy-drama film starring Kenny Rogers.

The concert also featured a special appearance by his long-time friend Dolly Parton. They sang "You Can't Make Old Friends" and "Islands in the Stream" together for the last time. His most successful final show was in Toledo, Ohio, at the Huntington Center, which was completely sold out.

Beyond Music: Acting and Business

Kenny Rogers also had success as an actor. His 1982 movie Six Pack, where he played a race-car driver, earned over $20 million at the United States box office. TV movies like The Gambler series, Christmas in America, and Coward of the County (based on his hit songs) were very popular. He also hosted and narrated the A&E history series The Real West.

The logo used for Kenny Rogers Roasters since 2012.

As a businessman, he worked with John Y. Brown Jr., a former CEO of KFC. In 1991, they started the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. This chicken and ribs restaurant chain was similar to Boston Market. It was famously shown in an episode of the NBC TV show Seinfeld called "The Chicken Roaster". The TV series Fresh Off the Boat also showed the chain owning a part of Louis Huang's Cattleman's Ranch restaurant before going out of business.

Rogers also lent his name to the Gambler Chassis Co. This company made sprint cars. The company used the name from Rogers' hit song The Gambler. During the 1980s and 1990s, Gambler sprint cars were very fast and widely used. They were also successful in Australia.

Kenny Rogers was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame on August 12, 2017.

In 2004, Rogers appeared as himself in an episode of Reno 911!. He was shown getting funny, incompetent security from starstruck sheriff's deputies.

In October 2012, Kenny Rogers released a book called Luck or Something Like it: A Memoir. It was about the ups and downs of his music career. With Mike Blakely, he also wrote a novel, What Are the Chances, which came out on September 1, 2013.

In 2014, Rogers appeared as himself in a GEICO commercial. He sang part of his song "The Gambler" without music while acting as a card dealer.

Kenny Rogers' Family Life and Passing

At his home in Colbert, Georgia, Kenny Rogers had a pet goat named Smitty. He got the goat from a friend in 2008. Rogers said the goat was "his center." It helped him feel calm after long and stressful tours.

Marriages and Children

Kenny Rogers was married five times. Each marriage lasted longer than the one before it. He had five children in total.

• He married Janice Gordon on May 15, 1958. They divorced in April 1960 and had one child.
• Rogers married Jean Rogers in October 1960 and divorced her in 1963.
• He married Margo Anderson in October 1964 and divorced her in 1976. They had one child.
• Rogers married Marianne Gordon on October 1, 1977, and divorced her in 1993. They had one child.
• Rogers married for the fifth and final time to Wanda Miller on June 1, 1997. They had twin sons together.

His Passing

On March 20, 2020, Kenny Rogers passed away at his home. A representative for the singer said he died from natural causes. Because of the national COVID-19 emergency, his family planned a small private service. A public memorial was planned for a later date.

Awards and Honors

Images for kids

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  Rogers in 2004

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  Rogers in 2012 at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia

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  Kenny Rogers Roasters

See also

In Spanish: Kenny Rogers para niños