KENNY ROGERS (1938 - 2020)

Kenny Rogers, a gifted musician who found his greatest success as a country singer who crossed over to the pop charts throughout the 1980's, has passed away on March 21st at the age of eighty-one. "The Gambler", the song which would become Rogers' signature tune, was written by Don Schlitz and had shopped it around for an artist to record it. After several singers taking a stab (including Johnny Cash), it would be Rogers's version that would became a worldwide smash in 1978. It would reach number one on the country chart, crossed over to the pop chart and would win the singer a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Even a series of television movies starring Rogers was inspired by the character of this song.

Rogers was born in Houston, TX, the fourth of eight children to Edward and Lucille Rogers. He learned to play the bass guitar and formed his first band as a teen in high school with a doo-wop group called the Scholars. Rogers found his first taste of commercial success in 1957 with the single, "That Crazy Feeling", a minor solo hit, with him making an appearance on the television show, American Bandstand. With not much happening for him after that, he would join the jazz outfit, the Bobby Doyle Three playing bass and later became a part of the folk group, The New Christy Minstrels in 1966.

Not content with his place in this band, Rogers, along with several other members, Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Thelma Camacho left to form, the First Edition the following year. The band's sound merged country, rock and pop and scored their first hit, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", a psychedelic pop song with Rogers singing lead vocals that reached number five on the pop chart. More hits followed including "Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town", "Reuben James", "Something’s Burning" and "Tell It All Brother" until The First Edition ended in 1976. After going to work again as a solo artist, Rogers had his first major commercial success with "Lucille" which reached number one on the country chart and number five on the US pop chart in 1977.

Following "The Gambler, Rogers became one of the hottest artists of the '80's with hits on the pop and country charts. Some of his popular songs include "Coward of the County", "Through The Years", "She Believes In Me", "You Decorated My Life" and "Lady", the singer's only number one song on the pop chart as a solo artist which was written and produced by Lionel Ritchie. He also had crossover hits with duets with Dolly Parton ("Island In The Stream", written and produced by the Bee Gees), Kim Carnes ("Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer") and Sheena Easton (a cover of Bob Seger's, "We've Got Tonight").

While Rogers' career did slow down in the 1990's, he did reach the top of the country charts for a final time in 2000 with "Buy Me a Rose". He recorded his last studio album, "You Can't Make Old Friends" in 2013 with the title track, a duet with Dolly Parton, earning a Grammy Award nomination.