RIP Kenny Rogers (the singer, not the pitcher)

Damn; I lived through his heyday and while he wasn’t my favorite, utmost respect to him at all times. I still get that good vibe hearing “Islands in the Stream”

 

One of his later songs but underrated. Defy any baseball fan -- especially now, with no season in sight -- to not shed a small tear.

 

He exuded a natural coolness - I remember when Kenny hosted a show on The History Channel called The Real West.

 

I was always a sucker for the duet with Dolly.

 

“Just Dropped In” is an underrated late 60s psychedelia classic. I heard “Ruby” so many times on the radio I actually got tired of hearing it, but every time I heard it I turned it up. Just a fine strumming tune with a great lyrical story.
RIP Kenny and the First Edition.

 

When I worked at Happy Jack's Natco gas station from 1977-1981, Kenny Rogers was pretty much on autoplay at the shithole bar across the street where we drank away our paychecks.
I bought 500 albums in those days, and none of them were Kenny Rogers. But I still tap my feet to a lot of his songs.

 

He also had a great episode on Reno 911, when the idiots are in charge of security and don't let anyone attend his book signing.

 

I don't think a lot of "real country fans" would call him a country singer - but he was able to bridge the gap between country and pop very successfully, drawing some fans from each. 100 million record sales is a good club to be a part of. Getting records played on country, top 40 and adult contemporary stations is no small feat. The son of some friends of my grandparents was his manager, the guy who put together We Are The World and Hands Across America.

 

Rogers was married five times.
No. 4 was Marianne Gordon, one of the Hee Haw Honeys.

 

He was 81, and had twin 15-year-old sons.

 

Hadn’t thought about Kenny Rogers in years. Reading the obits, song lists and this thread unlocked some memories.

My pops was a big fan. Heard a lot of Kenny at home and in the car as a kid.

Early in elementary school, “The Gambler” was a lunchtime favorite on the podunk juke box. Hell, that thing might have had 10 records in it.

Lunch and recess was a combination of that “multipurpose room smell,” hearing “The Gambler” four times in 45 minutes and choosing who would pretend to be Han Solo or Luke Skywalker.

Also, I alway dug “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.”