Kenneth ray Rodgers popularly known as Kenny Rodgers is an iconic country musician born in 1938 in Houston, Texas. He began his music career in a band, “The Scholars,” which he later broke off. In six decades of his career, Kenny managed to release songs that won Grammy awards, songs that became international hits, and songs that made him get nominated for many awards, including the American Music Awards.
In 1977, “Lucille” was released on the album “Kenny Rodgers.” The song became the number one solo on the billboard country singles chart. “Lucille” became an international hit topping the UK singles chart and top five on the billboard hot 100 (“Kenny Rogers”, 2021). Due to the massive sale on Lucille, the album Kenny Rodgers won him his first Grammy award for the Best Country Vocal Performance for the male category. The song established Kenny Rodgers in the country-pop music career.
Kenny Rodgers released his sixth album, “The Gambler,” which consisted of the major hit song The Gambler. The gambler was initially written and recorded by Don Schlitz, but Kenny released a country version that topped the Billboard charts. The song got international appreciation making him one of the most successful artists in the 1970s (“Kenny Rogers”, 2021). Apart from international recognition, he won his second Grammy award in the song of the Year category (“‘The Gambler”, 2021). The gambler would continue selling even after his death becoming top in the Billboards Digital song sales charts. The gambler was also adopted by the England rugby team as their anthem in 2007 at the rugby world cup, making it a hit in the UK.
Furthermore, the Houston gamblers from his hometown were named after this song. Rodgers also featured in the campaign USA for Africa to support those affected by drought in Africa in 1985. In 1986, Rogers won the President’s Merit Awards at the 29th annual Grammy awards. Two years later, he won a Grammy award for Best Country Collaborations with Vocals together with Ronnie Milsap for their collabo “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine.” His first hit single, “That Crazy Feeling,” was recorded in 1958 for the Carlton label. Focusing on country music, Rodgers released a solo, “Love Lifted Me,” which became a top 20 country hit in 1975, putting him on the country music chart. The Gambler’s album, “She Believes in Me,” became a hit on pop song charting in pop charts. The song contributed to his expansion in the music genre.
In 2018 the Gambler was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library Congress. Due to its immense triumph, Rodgers released a series, Kenny Rodgers, as the Gambler, which received an Eddie award and two Emmy awards nominations. In 1979 he released his eighth album “Kenny” which featured bestselling “Coward of The Country’ and “You Decorated my Life” (“Kenny Rogers”, 2021). The album led in the Billboard charts and the Country Music Charts. Although it didn’t win him any awards, it became among the bestselling albums he had ever had.
Rodgers also had a chance to work with Lionel Richie, who wrote and produced a number-one hit song on the billboard “lady.” In 1983, Rodgers did a duet “Islands in the Stream” with Dolly Patron, becoming his greatest hit. The song earned both of them an Academy of the Country Music award for single of the year. The two continued working together and released a holiday album, “Once Upon a Christmas,” in 1984 (“Kenny Rogers”, 2021).
The album debuted in their television show Kenny and Dolly: A Christmas to Remember, which trended in the festival season and received platinum certification. In 2006, he released his twenty-sixth album featuring the hit songs “I can’t unlove you, “The Last Ten Years (Superman), and “Calling Me.” Among the three hits, “Calling Me,” which featured Don Henley stayed on the hit list for six consecutive weeks.
In 2013 Dolly Patron was featured in Rodger’s album “You Can’t Make Old Friends.” Their duet topped the charts as a bestselling single (“Kenny Rogers”, 2021). Rodgers released more albums, including “What About Me?” which included a hit song “Crazy” that became a hit on the billboard adult contemporary music chart. He also produced a compilation of his best songs which topped again due to fans’ requests. Even at sixty-one, Rodgers surpassed again in the billboards with his single “Buy Me a Rose” from his album “She Rides Wild Horses.” In the same year, 2013, he was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Before retiring in 2017, Rogers won nine Academy of Country Music awards with nineteen nominations. He has won nineteen awards from different categories in American Music since 1985 (“Kenny Rogers”, 2021). Throughout his career from 1956 to 2017, he has gained nominations for American music awards, and Country Music Association awards, of which he won five awards for his best-selling songs. Moreover, he got nominations for Golden Globes in the USA in 1987, two Jumo awards, and seventeen Grammy awards making him one of the most decorated country musicians ever lived.
Rogers became a worldwide sensation from the 1970s all through the 1980s after his fame in Lucille and The Gambler. His songwriting skills and unique way of singing drew massive acknowledgment from the music industry and his fans. This put him on a map of glorious fame in the country music world. Kenny Rodgers has had an iconic share of several awards for various hit songs that have globally left a mark for him in country music as a legend and icon.
References
Kenny Rogers. GRAMMY. (2021). Web.
‘The Gambler’, Grammy award winner & country music icon Kenny Rogers passes away at 81. The Economic Times. (2021). Web.