Kenny Rogers

Kenneth Ray Rogers was born the fourth of eight children on August 21, 1938, at St Joseph's Infirmary in Houston, Texas. His parents were Lucille Lois Rogers, a nurse's assistant, and Edward Floyd Rogers, a carpenter. The family lived in the San Felipe Courts public housing project. Rogers was said to be of Irish and Native American ancestry. Rogers attended Wharton Elementary School, George Washington Junior High School, and graduated from Jefferson Davis High School (now Northside High School) in 1956. In 1949, Rogers won a talent show at the Texan Theatre. He served as a busboy at the Rice Hotel and swept floors at a hat store for $9 a week. He later attended the University of Houston. In 1986, on The Phil Donahue Show, Rogers told the audience that he was the first person in his family "as far back as we know" to graduate from high school. We were broke. We lived in a federal housing project. I think the most money my father ever made was $75 a week. There were times as a child that, I don't think I was ever really hungry – I always had food to eat – but there's no question that our family was nutritionally deprived at times. We'd eat peanut butter sandwiches, 'cause that's all there was. Quite honestly, when you're a kid, you don't know any better, you think that's how everyone eats. ==Career==

Early career In a recording career dating back to the 1950s, Rogers moved from teenager rock and roll through psychedelic rock to become a country-pop crossover artist of the 1970s and 1980s. He had a minor solo hit in 1957 called "That Crazy Feeling". After sales slowed down, Rogers joined a jazz group called the Bobby Doyle Three, who were frequently hired by clubs due to their fan following. The group recorded for Columbia Records. They disbanded in 1965, and a 1966 jazzy rock single Rogers recorded for Mercury Records, called "Here's That Rainy Day", failed. Rogers also worked as a producer, writer, and session musician for other performers, including country artists Mickey Gilley and Eddy Arnold. In 1966, he joined the New Christy Minstrels as a singer and double bass player. He soon developed a more middle-of-the-road sound that sold to both pop and country audiences. He charted more than 60 top-40 hit singles (including two number ones—"Lady" and "Islands in the Stream"). His music has been featured in top-selling movie soundtracks, such as Convoy, Urban Cowboy, and The Big Lebowski. Solo career and duets with other artists As the First Edition was breaking up in 1975, Rogers was the face of a national commercial advertising the "Quick Pickin' Fun Strummin' Home Guitar Course", but in 1976, Rogers signed a solo deal with United Artists. Rogers's first outing for his new label was Love Lifted Me. The album charted and two singles, "Love Lifted Me" and "While the Feeling's Good", were minor hits. Later in 1976, Rogers issued his second album, the self-titled Kenny Rogers, whose first single, "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)", was another solo hit. The single "Lucille" (1977) was a major hit, reaching number one on the pop charts in 12 countries, selling over five million copies, and firmly establishing Rogers's post-First Edition career. On the strength of "Lucille", the album Kenny Rogers reached number one on the Billboard Country Album Chart. More success was to follow, including the multiplatinum-selling album The Gambler and another international number one single, "Coward of the County", taken from the equally successful album, Kenny. Earlier that year, he sang a duet of "You and Me" with Lynda Carter in her television music special Lynda Carter Special (Rogers originally recorded this with Dottie West for the Every Time Two Fools Collide album). Later in 1980 came his partnership with Lionel Richie, who wrote and produced Rogers's number-one hit "Lady". Rogers went on to work with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, who produced his 1983 hit album Eyes That See in the Dark, featuring the title track and yet another number-one hit "Islands in the Stream", a duet with Dolly Parton. Gibb, along with his brothers, Robin and Maurice, originally wrote the song for Diana Ross in an R&B style, only later to change it for Rogers's album. "Islands in the Stream", Rogers's duet with Dolly Parton, was the first single to be released from Eyes That See in the Dark in the United States, and it quickly went to number one in the Billboard Hot 100 (it proved to be the last country single to reach number one on that chart until "Amazed" by Lonestar did so in 2000), as well as topping Billboards country and adult contemporary singles charts; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping two million copies in the United States. Rogers reunited with Parton in 1984 for a holiday album, Once Upon a Christmas, and the TV special Kenny and Dolly: A Christmas to Remember (which resulted in a popular video of "Christmas Without You"), as well as a 1985 duet "Real Love", which also topped the U.S. country singles chart. The two continued to collaborate on occasional projects through subsequent years, including a 2013 duet single "You Can't Make Old Friends". In 1988, Rogers won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Ronnie Milsap—"Make No Mistake, She's Mine". In the 1990s, Rogers continued to chart with singles such as "The Factory" and "Crazy in Love", another selection Kim Carnes provided him, "If You Want to Find Love", and "The Greatest". His second Christmas album, Christmas in America, was released in 1989 for Reprise Records. From 1991 to 1994, Rogers hosted The Real West on A&E, and on the History Channel since 1995 (reruns only on the History Channel). He visited Miller's during this time. From 1992 to 1995, Rogers co-owned and headlined Branson, Missouri's 4,000-seat Grand Palace Theatre. In 1994, Rogers released his "dream" album titled Timepiece on Atlantic Records. It consisted of 1930s/1940s jazz standards, the type of music he had performed in his early days with the Bobby Doyle Three in Houston. In 1996, Rogers released an album Vote for Love, where the public requested their favorite love songs and Rogers performed the songs. (Several of his own hits were in the final version.) The album was the first for the TV shopping channel QVC's record label, onQ Music. The album, sold exclusively by QVC, was a huge success and was later issued in stores under a variety of different titles. It reached number one in the UK country charts under the title Love Songs (a title also used for various compilations) and also crossed over into the mainstream charts. In 1999, Rogers scored with the single "The Greatest", a song about life from a child's point of view (looked at through a baseball game). exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores. The album included some of Rogers's greatest hits, plus three new songs. The release was designed to celebrate Rogers's 50th year in the music business. In 2007, the England national rugby union team adopted Rogers' song "The Gambler" as their unofficial 2007 Rugby World Cup anthem, after hearing prop Matt Stevens playing it in the team hotel. Before the semifinal against France and the final against South Africa, Rogers sent video messages of support to the team in light of them choosing his song. in Sydney, Australia In 2008, Rogers toured with his Christmas Show. He split the show up, making the first half his "best of" and the second half his Christmas songs. In 2009, Rogers embarked on his 50th Anniversary Tour. On April 10, 2010, a TV special was taped, Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years. Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie were among those set to perform with Rogers during a show celebrating his contribution to country, blues, and pop music. It took place at the MGM Grand in Foxwoods. The TV special was executive produced by Gabriel Gornell and Colleen Seldin and aired on GAC in North America and BBC worldwide. On June 10, 2012, Rogers appeared on stage with the musical group Phish to perform his hit song "The Gambler" at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Also in 2012, Rogers re-recorded the hit song "Lady", a duet with its songwriter Lionel Richie, on Richie's album Tuskegee. The pair also performed the song live at the 2012 ACM concert, Lionel Richie and Friends. On April 10, 2013, the CMA announced that Rogers would be a 2013 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Cowboy Jack Clement and Bobby Bare. In 2013, Rogers recorded a new album with the name ''You Can't Make Old Friends''. This album included the title track, a new duet with Dolly Parton, which was his first single released in six years. Retirement In 2015, Rogers announced his farewell tour, titled The Gambler's Last Deal. He stated his intention to retire from touring at its completion, although he was considering the possibility of recording another studio album. In announcing the tour, Rogers indicated at the time that his final tour appearance would be on NBC's Today show. Concert dates were scheduled through 2018 and included visits to the United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. On April 5, 2018, though, Rogers canceled his remaining tour as advised by doctors due to a series of health problems. Rogers's final concert in Nashville took place on October 25, 2017, at the Bridgestone Arena, where he was joined by an array of guest artists, including 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. The concert also included a special appearance by long-time friend Dolly Parton, who serenaded Rogers with her signature "I Will Always Love You" and performed "You Can't Make Old Friends" and "Islands in the Stream" with Rogers for the final time. Bloodline Although Rogers used many session musicians to play instruments on his recordings, he was backed on tours by the group Bloodline since 1976. The group originally started as three pieces. In The Journey (a 2006 documentary about his career), Rogers said he did not understand singers who changed their touring band every year, and that he stuck with Bloodline as they already "know the songs". Members of Bloodline have included Steve Glassmeyer, Chuck Jacobs, Randy Dorman, Gene Golden, Bobby Daniels, Rick Harper, Edgar Struble, Lynn Hammann, Warren Hartman, Gene Sisk, Brian Franklin, Mike Zimmerman, and Amber Randall. ==Acting and other ventures==

Rogers also had success as an actor. His 1982 movie Six Pack, in which he played a race-car driver, took in more than $20 million at the United States box office, while made-for-TV movies such as The Gambler series, Christmas in America, and Coward of the County (based on hit songs of his) topped ratings lists. He also served as host and narrator for the A&E historical series The Real West. Rogers said that photography was once his obsession, before it morphed into a passion. He authored the photo books ''Kenny Rogers' America (1986) and Your Friends and Mine'' (1987). As an entrepreneur, he collaborated with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown Jr. in 1991 to start up the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. The chicken and ribs chain, which is similar to Boston Market, featured in an episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld called "The Chicken Roaster". Season four of the TV series Fresh Off the Boat depicts the chain as owning a share of Louis Huang's Cattleman's Ranch restaurant and then filing for bankruptcy. Rogers is shown from the back, but played by Jeff Pomerantz in the episode "Let Me Go, Bro". Rogers put his name to the Gambler Chassis Co., a sprint-car racing manufacturer started by C. K. Spurlock in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The company used the name from Rogers's hit song "The Gambler". During the 1980s and 1990s, Gambler was one of the fastest and widely used sprint cars, with such drivers as Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, and Doug Wolfgang driving the cars to victory in the World of Outlaws and the famous Knoxville Nationals. Gambler sprint cars were also successful in Australia, with drivers such as Garry Rush and Steve Brazier using Gamblers to win multiple Australian Sprintcar Championships. Rush also used a Gambler chassis to win the unofficial 1987 World Sprintcar Championship at the Claremont Speedway in Perth, Western Australia. In October 2012, Rogers released the book Luck or Something Like It: A Memoir about the ups and downs in his musical career. In 2014, Rogers appeared as himself in a GEICO commercial, singing part of his song "The Gambler" a cappella while acting as the dealer in a card game. ==Personal life==

At Beaver Dam Farms, a former estate in Colbert, Georgia, Rogers kept a pet goat named Smitty. He originally acquired the animal from a friend in 2008. According to Rogers, the goat was "(his) center", providing a calming influence after long and stressful touring schedules. Marriages Rogers was married five times and had five children. His first marriage was to Janice Gordon on May 15, 1958; they divorced in April 1960 with one child, Carole Lynne. He married his second wife, Jean, in October 1960 and divorced her in 1963. His third marriage was to Margo Anderson in October 1963; they divorced in 1975, with one child. He married his fourth wife, actress Marianne Gordon, on October 1, 1977, and they divorced in 1993, with one son, Christopher. Health decline and death Rogers's seven-decade career wound down in 2017, as he encountered health problems that included a diagnosis of bladder cancer. On March 20, 2020, Rogers died at the age of 81, while under hospice care at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia. He was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. ==Discography==

• Love Lifted Me (1976) • Kenny Rogers (1976) • Daytime Friends (1977) • Every Time Two Fools Collide (1978) • Love or Something Like It (1978) • The Gambler (1978) • Classics (1979) • Kenny (1979) • Gideon (1980) • Share Your Love (1981) • Christmas (1981) • Love Will Turn You Around (1982) • ''We've Got Tonight'' (1983) • Eyes That See in the Dark (1983) • What About Me? (1984) • Once Upon a Christmas (1984) • The Heart of the Matter (1985) • ''They Don't Make Them Like They Used To'' (1986) • I Prefer the Moonlight (1987) • Something Inside So Strong (1989) • Christmas in America (1989) • Love Is Strange (1990) • Back Home Again (1991) • If Only My Heart Had a Voice (1993) • Timepiece (1994) • Vote for Love (1996) • The Gift (1996) • Across My Heart (1997) • Christmas from the Heart (1998) • She Rides Wild Horses (1999) • There You Go Again (2000) • Back to the Well (2003) • Water & Bridges (2006) • The Love of God (2011) • ''You Can't Make Old Friends'' (2013) • ''Once Again It's Christmas'' (2015) • Life Is Like a Song (2023) • ==Filmography==

Film Television == Awards and honors ==

The following is a list of record labels to which Rogers signed: • Cue (1957, with the band the Scholars and also as a solo singer) • Carlton (1958, solo deal) • KenLee (one single, label owned by Rogers and his brother Lelan) • Columbia (1960s, with jazz combo, the Bobby Doyle Three) • Reprise (1967, with the First Edition, all material recorded during this time has since been acquired by Universal Music Group) • Jolly Rogers (1973, with the First Edition, label was owned by Rogers) • United Artists (1975, solo deal) • Liberty (1980, United Artists merged into EMI/Capitol in 1980; some pressings of albums were issued on Capitol's imprint labels, EMI, EMI America, and EMI Manhattan.) • RCA Records (1983, solo deal) • Reprise (1989, solo deal) • Giant (1993, one solo album) • Atlantic (1994, one solo album) • onQ Music (1996, one solo album; onQ Music was created by the QVC Network to release exclusive albums for sale only on QVC. The first onQ release was Rogers's Vote for Love, a two-disc set that would later become available in standard retail stores.) • Magnatone (1996, solo deal) • Dreamcatcher (1998, solo deal; Dreamcatcher was owned and run by Rogers and Jim Mazza for the purpose of releasing Rogers's albums and certain reissues of Rogers's catalog. Other artists, such as Marshall Dyllon and Randy Dorman, were also released on Dreamcatcher Records. The label closed in 2004.) • Capitol Nashville (2004, solo deal) == See also ==