Kenny Rogers was an iconic American singer who was named to be one of the best-selling music artists of all time selling over 100 million records worldwide. Rogers was also a songwriter, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur, who got elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. He won altogether 47 awards throughout his entire life. Best known for the hit songs “The Gambler”, “Islands in the Stream” and “Lady”, Rogers died on March 20, 2020.
What was Kenny Rogers Famous for?
- Famous as the iconic award-winning country vocalist.
- Known for his hit songs like “The Gambler”, “Islands in the Stream” and “Lady”.
Where was Kenny Rogers Born?
Kenny Rogers was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas, United States. His birth name was Kenneth Ray Rogers. His nationality was American. Rogers belonged to White ethnicity and was of Irish and Native American ancestry while Leo was his zodiac sign.
Rogers was born as the fourth of eight children of his family to Edward Floyd Rogers(father) and Lucille Lois(mother). His father was a carpenter while his mother was a nurse’s assistant.
He attended Wharton Elementary School during which he knew that he wanted to pursue his career in music in the future. Later then he bought himself a guitar and started a group called “The Scholars”. The band had a rockabilly sound and scored a few local hits.
Source: @people
Kenny Rogers’ Career Highlights
- Kenny Rogers started his professional recording career with his Houston based group the Scholars, releasing their first song, “The poor little doggie” in the late 1950s.
- In 1957, he released his minor solo hit song, “That Crazy Feeling”.
- Later then, he joined a jazz group called “The Bobby Doyle Three” and together they recorded for Columbia Records.
- He then became a member of the folk ensemble, “The New Christy Minstrels” in 1961 and began playing double bass and bass guitar as well as singing.
- In 1967, including him, many other members of the Minstrels left the group and founded “The First Edition” group.
- In 1968, he and his group charted the hit songs on pop and country charts including “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”, ” “But You Know I Love You”, “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”, “Tell It All, Brother”, “Reuben James”, and “Something’s Burning”.
- After the band broke up, Rogers embarked on a long and successful solo career signing a solo deal with United Artists. His first song was his new label was “Love Lifted Me”.
- His single “Lucille”(1977) was a major hit and his self-titled album, “Kenny Rogers” was no. 1 album that charted No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album Chart.
- Rogers got his breakout career with the release of his signature song, “The Gambler” in 1978. The song was a cross-over hit that won him a Grammy Award in 1980.
- In 1988, Rogers won a Grammy Award for “Best Country Collaboration with Vocals” alongside Ronnie Milsap for the song, “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine”.
- Rogers also signed with Capitol Records that followed 21 Number Ones with Rogers’ new studio album, “Water & Bridges”, in March 2006.
- Rogers toured with his Christmas Show, also the United Kingdom, US, Britain, and Island.
- On June 10, 2012, Rogers appeared on stage with the musical group Phish to perform his hit song “The Gambler” at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
- In October 2012, Rogers released his book titled, “Luck or Something Like It: A Memoir” about his ups and downs in his musical career.
- In 2013, Rogers recorded a new album, “You Can’t Make Old Friends” after six years/
- He announced his final tour in 2015 titled “The Gambler’s Last Deal” and performed his final concert in Nashville in 2017.
- He also had a successful career as an actor with his hit movie, “Six Pack”(1982).
- He even had his restaurant, “Kenny Rogers Roasters” started in 1991.
Source: @zimbio
Who was Kenny Rogers Married to?
Kenny Rogers got married five times throughout his entire life. He first got married to Janice Gordon. The couple got married on May 15, 1958, and shared a daughter, Carole Lynne however, they divorced in April 1960. Later, in October 1960, he got married to Jean but three years later, they divorced in 1963.
A year later, he got married to his third wife, Margo Anderson in October 1964. They had a son, Kenny Jr. but they divorced in 1976. Later, on October 1, 1977, he got married to his fourth wife, Marianne Gordon with whom he had a son, Christoper.
After being in a marriage for more than 16 years, they divorced in 1993. On June 1, 1997, he got married to his fifth and last wife, Wanda Miller. They together had twin sons Jordan and Justin and were married for twenty-two years until his death.
Cause of Death of Kenny Rogers
Country Icon, Kenny Rogers died recently on March 20, 2020, under the care of hospice at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia. However, his death has no connection with the burning pandemic of COVID-19. Also, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the family is planning a small private service with a public memorial planned for a later date.
What was the Net Worth of Kenny Rogers?
The 81 years old late Kenny Rogers had a well-equipped luxurious and lavish lifestyle before he died in 2020. Rogers is in the music industry for more than 60 years got him fame, money, power, and properties anyone could ever ask for. Spanning around 6 decades n music career, he had acquired a net worth of around $250 million.
Further, Rogers’ estate in Bel Air had a value of $65 million before it was sold for $50 million in 2015. He also made a profit of around $1 million by the sale of his Mediterranean-style estate in Sandy Springs.
How Tall was Kenny Rogers?
Kenny Rogers was a white handsome man in his early 80s. Rogers had a height of 6ft.(1.80m) while he had a bodyweight of around 82kg(181 pounds).
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