Kenny Rogers is a Legendary American singer and composer whose soothing and mesmerizing bass voice has captivated the heart of the entire world since the 1950s. While some people make their voices heard through activism, Rogers belonged to the group who tell their stories through melodies.
He was originally named Kenneth Ray Rogers at birth in 1938. The Houston born was from a below-average Irish-American family, citing that his father, Edward Floyd Rogers was a Carpenter and his mother, Lucille Lois worked as a Nurse Assistant in a local clinic in their neighbourhood. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t easy growing up in Texas for Kenny who once recounted the struggles his parents had to pass through to raise himself and his siblings. He was the fourth of eight children.
Nonetheless, between 1944 and 1956 the bright chap attended Wharton Elementary School and the renowned Jefferson Davis High School which he graduated from in 1956. It was around this time he started having this urge to air and share his views, stories and experiences with the world.
Kenny Rogers and Music
It is noteworthy to mention that he had already begun singing and performing while in Jefferson Davis. But those were his teenage rock and roll days. However, the young Composer, Vocalist and Bass guitarist started off as a Rock and Roll artiste. At this stage, Kenny Rogers joined forces and became a member of popular Houston based band, The Scholars, whom together as a group released a couple of monster hits like The Poor Little Doggie. Also, it was while still with the band, he will go ahead to record a solo hit in 1957, That Crazy Feeling – Which went viral and became an anthem in the 1950s.
Later on, the group began to go through difficulties and unfortunately, their music poor sales did not help either. Thus, it didn’t not come as a surprise when the unrelenting music genius jumped ship and joined the Jazz group, The Bob Doyle Three, which had the ever-glowing Bob Doyle as its lead singer.
A refreshing start for the band. A new chapter for Kenny Rodgers to forge ahead with his passion and dream. The key members of this group, Bob, Ken and others were amazing talents, to begin with. No doubt, it was their uniqueness and ingenuity that endeared many fans and show promoters to them.
The group got a lot of gigs and performed in several top clubs in the country back then. More so, their popularity began to grow from city-to-city and this got the attention of Columbia Records who partnered with the group for a couple of songs. This newfound bond was friendly, brotherly and everything family. But as we have good times, so also are bad times.
In 1965, the trio brothers disbanded to the amazement of their devastated huge fan base. After their unfortunate separation in 1965, Rogers admitted in an interview that he found things different. Around that time, the following year in 1966, he recorded a song, Here’s That Rainy Day with Mercury Records. Unlike him, the song flopped. Perhaps, he couldn’t put himself together as he once revealed, “It was like starting all over from the scratch”.
During this time, he also had to work as a writer, producer and more of a back-up artiste for other performers. A well known nonconformist and strong-willed young man, he joined yet another band, The New Christy Minstrels in 1966.
However, driven by a more ambitious dream and success, his time with the folk band, The New Christy Minstrels was brief as himself and three other members of the group; Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Thelma Camacho left the band to form their first independent musical band, The First Edition in 1967.
In all of these, Kenny’s journey through The Scholars, The Bob Doyle Three, The New Christy Minstrels and The First Edition until it was renamed Kenny Rogers and The First Edition showed how consistent the young man kept his dreams alive. The group will go-ahead to release a couple of hits songs that topped the country charts which include; But You Know I Love You, Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town, Tell It All Brother, Reuben James, Something’s Burning and a host of others.
Despite being a recording artiste for over a decade, the year 1976 was Kenny’s breakthrough. Although it started with the disbandment of his group, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, there were other editions to Roger’s plan. One of the greatest mystery of Kenny Rogers musical career was his cross-over from Jazz to Country music. His solo career was characterized by hits upon hits. More so, couple of his songs were used as soundtracks for high ranking movies such as Convoy, Urban Cowboy, The Big Lebowski including the song Runaway Girl which became the anthem of the 1976 produced movie, Trackdown. Kenny Rogers is fondly remembered for selling over a million copies for most of his albums and singles like Kenny Rogers self-titled album (1976), Lucille (1977), a song named after his mother, The Gambler album and Coward of the County, Share Your Love With Me produced by Lionel Richie in 1981, Love Will Turn You Around in 1982, Eyes That See in The Dark (1983), Islands in the Stream with close friend Dolly Parton and a host of others. Practically, his songs undisputably bossed the 1970s and 1980s.
The perfect blend and melody in his sounds went on to prove how versatile he was and earned him the status as one of the few men born to do music. This is because, Rogers through his music moments charted over 120 hit singles across different music genres like folk, jazz, pop, rock and country music. Topping both country and pop album charts for over 200 weeks in the United States and had 20 albums go platinum. This was who the man Kenny Rogers was to the music world.
From the look of things, one can confidently testify that the three times Grammy Award Winner worked his way up to the top. Hence, it was to commemorate and acknowledge his efforts that he was honoured and inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Kenny Roger’s Wife And Children
The Legendary Country Music icon was not lucky with love until he met Wanda Miller and they eventually tied the knot in June 1997. He had met the American beauty after four failed marriages and their 23 years union manifested into the birth of his twin sons, Jordan and Justin Rogers. It was the longest Kenny stayed married.
However, in the five times, Rogers got married, his previous marriages produced three other children. His first marriage to Janice Gordon (1958-1960) produced a son, Christopher Cody Rogers. When they divorced, he got married for a second time to Jane (1960-1963), unfortunately, this three years union did not yield any fruit.
In 1964, the Hall of Fame guitar Maestro recited yet another marital vow, this time to Margo Anderson and their blissful union from 1964-1976 was blessed with his only daughter, Carole Rogers. Roger’s fourth marriage to Marianne Gordon (1977-1993) birthed self-named Kenny Jnr and the fifth to Wanda Miller from 1997 was the beginning of a lasting bond for the man who has long found love until his death in March 2020.
Quick Facts About The Country Legend
Kenny Rogers was also a Good Actor
Kenny Rogers has a few movies to his credit. The multi-talented vocalist starred in the 1982 movie Six Pack as a race-car driver and also in the 1995 biographical film, Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. A movie about his close friend with whom he shared two platinum album collaborations, Every Time Two Fools Collide (No. 1) and Classics (No. 3). Dottie West was not just a friend but a fellow Country Music Legend, who passed away in 1991 from injuries sustained in a car accident. Thus, starring in the CBS documentary was both touching and a heartfelt moment for Rogers. He also featured in the comedy film, Longshot in 2001, The Gambler series and a few others.
He Wasn’t That Good With Some Instruments
Kenny Rogers is known for playing the Guitar, Bass and some other key instruments in composing. However, it has been revealed that he joined the Bob Doyle Trio as a bassist but had no idea about playing the instrument. Though Bob was aware of this but told him to come and be the band’s bassist and he signed in 1959 anyways.
Kenny Rogers Bonded With Two Female Artistes More
Kenny Rogers’ relationship with Dolly Parton and Dottie West was magical. Dolly Parton came to be known as his favorite collaborator due to the many duets the two worked on. Also, for Dottie West, she was more of a confidant to Rogers who felt depressed when she died.
How Does The World Feel About Kenny Rogers Death?
On Thursday, March 20th 2020 was a black day for country music lovers. This is because the world slept on while an enigmatic icon took the back door to the afterlife. At 81 years of age, and a career spanning almost 60 years, no doubt Kenny had touched lives with his voice. Upon news of his death, many reactions continue to trail his life, times and moments. Such as; “You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone,” Parton wrote.
Also, Billy Ray Cyrus the father of popular musician, Miley Cyrus posted a photograph of himself and Rogers with these words “No one bridged the gap between country and pop more often and better than Kenny Rogers.”
More and more encomiums, tributes and dirges kept on pouring for the deceased country music Legend.
