Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers is an American country and pop singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur from Houston, Texas. Born Kenneth Donald Rogers in 1938, he dies in 2020.

Career

Rogers begins recording in the late 1950s with the Houston group the Scholars, who release “The Poor Little Doggie”. He also issues solo recordings at that time, including “That Crazy Feeling” in 1958, before joining a group led by jazz singer Bobby Doyle.

In 1966, he joins the New Christy Minstrels, performing on double bass and bass guitar and contributing vocals. A year later, he leaves with several other members to form the First Edition. The group first breaks through with the psychedelic rock single “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”, which reaches number five on the Billboard Hot 100. After the success of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” in 1969, Rogers takes on a larger leadership role and the group’s sound becomes more country-oriented. The First Edition disbands in 1975–76.

Solo work and success

Rogers establishes a solo career with collaborations including Dottie West, Dolly Parton and Sheena Easton, and a songwriting partnership with Lionel Richie. His 1978 single “The Gambler” becomes one of his best-known recordings. It wins a Grammy Award in 1980 and is selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2018. The song also inspires a series of television films beginning with Kenny Rogers as The Gambler in 1980, in which he plays the title role.

Among his best-known albums are The Gambler and Kenny. He records more than 120 hit singles, tops the country and pop album charts for more than 200 cumulative weeks in the United States, and sells over 100 million records worldwide. He receives American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards, along with a lifetime achievement award in 2003. In 2013, he is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Later career and other work

In 2006, Rogers releases Water & Bridges, which reaches the top five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the top 15 of the Billboard 200. Its lead single, “I Can’t Unlove You”, also charts successfully. He continues to tour internationally until his retirement in 2017.

Alongside music, Rogers acts in film and television. His credits include the title role in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, appearances in the MacShayne series for The NBC Mystery Movie, and a starring role in the 1982 film Six Pack.

He also co-founds the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters with former KFC chief executive John Y. Brown Jr. The chain ends operations in the United States but continues in parts of Asia.