An unusual and highly popular feature of these concerts was that local school choral groups would often be invited to accompany Kenny. Working with performers from different areas in music broadened Rogers’ reach and fan base, and certainly increased his stature in the music world.Īs his recording career blossomed, Kenny continued touring, and for many cities, an annual highlight was his Christmas concert, “Christmas and Hits”.
Among his singing partners, long-time friend Dottie West, who credited Kenny with bringing her career to new audiences, as well as Dolly Parton, Kim Carnes, Lionel Richie, Sheena Easton, and Don Henley. In the early 1980’s, Kenny showed his business acumen by teaming up with other singers in a highly successful string of duets. The success of “Lucille” led to a string of hits, including “Coward of the County”, “The Gambler”, “Lady”, and “Islands In The Stream”.
His solo career took off with 1977’s “Lucille”, which reached number one status in 12 countries. Rogers started his solo career in 1976, after the First Edition broke up, and he found success straddling the line between pop and country. The band found success with songs such as “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” and “But You Know I Love You” before being renamed Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, when they scored a hit with “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”. He bounced around through various groups in a variety of musical styles before landing first with the The New Christy Minstrels, and then forming The First Edition with a few other bandmates from the Minstrels. Kenny Rogers’ career spans back to the late 1950’s, when he charted a minor doo-wop hit called “That Crazy Feeling”. He has certainly made the most of his amazing career. So while it was disheartening to hear that performing legend Kenny Rogers was getting ready to retire, and embarking on his final tour, “The Gambler’s Last Deal”, it was refreshing to hear that unlike so many others in show business, he really meant it. Certain groups and individuals have been on their “Final World Tour!” for 20 years running, and such announcements are often seen as marketing ploys designed to fill seats. He has even published two somewhat successful books: Kenny Rogers' America and Kenny Rogers: Your Friends and Mine, the latter of which is an engaging collection of never-before-published photographs from his own personal collection.There’s always a certain amount of skepticism one has when an entertainer announces his or her retirement. His Christmas albums always fare well among his fans, and he released a new album every year in the new millennium aside from 2005. Kenny Rogers seems to have recaptured some of his luster, and is a huge international star. He was also the butt of a somewhat infamous Internet site. Kenny Rogers Roasters, his poultry food chain, lost some sales to Boston Market, and then he was sued for two million dollars by Kevin O'Toole after he tossed a Frisbee from a stage inside a concert hall that struck a chandelier, dropping shards of broken glass onto O'Toole.
#Kenny rogers through the years duet Patch#
The '90s charts were not as kind, and Rogers hit a patch of bad luck. Rogers continued to have big records throughout that decade, as well as a platinum-selling Christmas collection. In fact, his songs' story lines are so strong that two of them - "The Gambler" and "Coward of the Country" - were turned into made-for-TV Westerns in the mid-'80s. The comforting timbre of Rogers' singing voice carries with it a hushed paternal calm that seems to naturally warm up the narratives of his songs and give them a quiet authority. He became a country pop hitmaker in the 1970s with "The Gambler" and "Lucille," among others. 1 hit with "Lady," a duet with Lionel Richie, and his second with "Islands in the Stream," which found him paired him with Dolly Parton. After the First Edition broke up, Rogers had his first No. From there, Rogers started the First Edition, who had their first hit with a rocking, psychedelic, fuzz-guitar-laden version of Mickey Newbury's "Just Dropped In" only a month after signing to Reprise in 1968. Rogers first found success in the 1960s with the New Christy Minstrels, a prefab lite folk vocal group that also boasted one-time members Roger McGuinn and John Denver. This pop icon has had a career that has thrived for more than 30 years.