Country Music Icon Kenny Rogers Biography

Kenny Rogers in full Kenneth Donald Rogers, is an American country singer born in August 21, 1938, Texas, USA, known for his vocal voice and multiple hits such as “Lady,” “The Gambler,” “Lucille,” and “Through the Years.”.



Biography


Rogers was born in Houston, Texas on August 21, 1938, the fourth of eight children. His parents were Lucille Lois (née Hester; 1910–1991), a nurse’s assistant, and Edward Floyd Rogers (1904–1975), a carpenter. Rogers is said to be of Irish and Native American ancestry. Rogers attended Wharton School.

Kenny Rogers grew up poor in a Houston housing project. In 1956, he also founded his first band, the Scholars, while in high school. He performed his first solo single ‘That Crazy Feeling’ (1957) on the popular music television show American Bandstand.

His talent was recognized immediately, and he was signed to a small local label, Carlton Records, in 1958. In 1966 he joined the New Christy Minstrels, a folk group started by Randy Sparks in 1961. After a year Rogers and a few other Minstrels left to form their own ensemble, the First Edition. Rogers found his way into the spotlight, and the band was soon referred to as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.

The band which played a mix of country, pop, and psychedelic music had a few hits, including “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In),” “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” (written by Mel Tillis), “Reuben James,” and “Something’s Burning.” The band also hosted Rollin’ on the River (1971–73), a variety show that took place on a Mississippi riverboat set and featured guests such as musicians Kris Kristofferson, B.B. King, and Al Green; actor Jason Robards; and comedians Cheech and Chong.

In the late 1970s Kenny Rogers hit his stride. Going solo again, he had his first major hit with the ballad “Lucille,” which won him a Grammy Award for best male country vocal performance (1977).

“Lucille” was named song of the year and single of the year by the Academy of Country Music and single of the year by the Country Music Association and also made its way up the pop music charts, proving that Rogers had enormous crossover appeal.

In 1978 he released his album The Gambler, the title song of which won him another Grammy for best male country vocal performance. As many of his number-one hits did in the 1970s, “The Gambler” appeared on the pop music charts as well as on the country music charts.

“The Gambler” told such a vivid story that it was turned into a made-for-television movie (1980) starring Rogers, who played an expert gambler teaching a young protégé the tricks of the trade. The movie led to four sequels, all of which featured Rogers.

He collaborated with a number of other country singers, notably Dottie West on “Every Time Two Fools Collide” (1978), “All I Ever Need Is You” (1979), and “What Are We Doin’ in Love” (1981) and Dolly Parton on the number-one crossover hit “Islands in the Stream” (1983).

He teamed up with Parton again for a duet of the title song on his 2013 album You Can’t Make Old Friends. He also recorded songs with pop musicians Kim Carnes (“Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer” [1980]) and Sheena Easton (“We’ve Got Tonight” [1983]). His collaboration with Ronnie Milsap on “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine” (1987) topped the country music charts.

Rogers’s string of hits tapered off in the 1990s, though he continued to record and release albums regularly, almost yearly.

In 1998 he started his own record label, Dreamcatcher Entertainment, which released his albums of the next decade. In 2011 Rogers branched out and recorded a gospel album, The Love of God (rereleased in 2012 as Amazing Grace).

Death
On March 20, 2020, Kenny Rogers died under hospice care at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia, from natural causes, a representative for the singer said in a statement.

Due to the national COVID-19 emergency, the family is planning a small private service at this time with a public memorial planned for a later date.

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