Kenny Rogers
#
46
Ranking
Hall of Famer
BIRTHDATE
BIRTHPLACE
Houston
,
TX
,
USA
81
5
'
11
"
DIED
Kenny Rogers was a Houston-born country legend who rose from a public housing project to sell more than 150 million albums over a 65-year career, winning three Grammys and a Country Music Hall of Fame induction on the strength of timeless hits including "The Gambler," "Lucille," and "Islands in the Stream" with Dolly Parton, before passing away peacefully at home on March 20, 2020, at age 81.
Current Tour & Setlist
Kenny Rogers retired from touring in 2016 and gave his final performance at the star-studded tribute concert "All In For The Gambler" in Nashville in 2017, which was attended by Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, and dozens of other artists paying tribute to his legacy.
Early Life
Born Kenneth Ray Rogers, the fourth of eight children in a working-class family, he grew up in the San Felipe Courts public housing project where money was always scarce, his father had a drinking problem, and he became the first member of his family to finish high school. As a boy Rogers sang in local church choirs and glee clubs, saved money from his job as a busboy at the Rice Hotel to buy himself a guitar, and drew early inspiration from the diverse sounds of Houston including gospel, blues, jazz, and country; his brother Lelan Rogers went on to become a noted Houston record producer.
Career Highlights
Rogers formed his first band, the doo-wop group The Scholars, while still in high school in 1956, then recorded his first solo single "That Crazy Feeling" in 1957, which became a million-selling regional hit and landed him an appearance on American Bandstand before the momentum faded and he returned to playing jazz clubs. He joined the folk group the New Christy Minstrels in 1966, then broke away the following year to form the psychedelic folk-rock group Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, scoring a top-five pop hit with "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" in 1968. His solo career exploded in 1977 with "Lucille," the first of his six number-one country singles, followed by "The Gambler" in 1978, which won him a Grammy and spawned five TV movies. He went on to sell more than 150 million albums over a 65-year career, score a worldwide pop smash with the Dolly Parton duet "Islands in the Stream" in 1983, and be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Family & Personal Life
Rogers was married five times: to Janice Gordon (1958 to 1960), Jean Massey (1960 to 1963), Margo Anderson (1963 to 1975), actress Marianne Gordon (1977 to 1993), and finally to Wanda Miller, whom he married on June 1, 1997, and who was with him until his death. He had five children across four marriages: daughter Carole with Janice Gordon, son Kenny Jr. with Margo Anderson, son Christopher with Marianne Gordon, and twin sons Justin Charles and Jordan Edward, born July 6, 2004, with Wanda, making him a father of twins at age 65. Rogers passed away peacefully at home under hospice care on March 20, 2020, at age 81, surrounded by his family.
