Kenny Rogers Dies At 81
• Legendary entertainer Kenny Rogers, whose career spanned six decades, died Friday evening, March 20 at the age of 81. A release from Rogers’ family said he passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.
Rogers’ musical journey began in the early ’60s in a jazz trio in his hometown of Houston. A stint in the New Christy Minstrels folk group led to the founding of the First Edition, which reached No. 5 on the pop chart in the spring of 1968 with the psychedelic “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” along with several additional pop hits on Reprise Records, including “Ruby (Don’t Take Your Love To Town).”
In 1974, producer/executive Larry Butler signed Rogers to United Artists Records, highlighted by the Grammy-winning “Lucille” in 1977, which reached No. 1 on the Country chart and No. 5 on the pop chart. Powered by the promotional might of Charlie Minor, Steve Resnik and Dick Williams, Rogers logged hit after hit, including the six-million-selling “The Gambler,” “She Believes in Me,” “Coward of the County” and “You Decorated My Life,” and his Country take on Lionel Richie‘s “Lady” ruled the pop charts for six weeks.
Rogers’ successful duets included “Every Time Two Fools Collide” with Dottie West (1978), “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer” with Kim Carnes (1980), and his two 1983 smashes, “We’ve Got Tonight” with Sheena Easton and that classic Dolly Parton duet, “Islands in the Stream,” written by Barry Gibb. He was also prominently featured in the 1985 megastar collaboration, “We Are the World.” Already a veteran TV performer, Rogers gained further exposure through acting in made-for-television movies, including a series of five treatments of The Gambler.
Rogers went on to enjoy 24 No. 1 hits across the Pop and Country genres, collected six CMA Awards and three Grammys. In 2013 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (as pictured here). That same year he was the recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2015 was the CMT Artist of a Lifetime honoree.
The Rogers family is planning a small private service at this time out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency. They look forward to celebrating Kenny’s life publicly with his friends and fans at a later date. [Photo credit: John Russell/CMA]
