Kenny Rogers Has Died
Houston-born, three time Grammy winner and Country legend, Kenny Roger has passed away at the age of 81. Kenny Rogers, the superstar country singer and occasional actor had 17 #1 songs, including the “Gambler”, “Lucille,” “Lady” and “Islands in the Stream”. A three-time Grammy winner, Rogers died of natural causes at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
Rogers broke through in 1967 as the frontman for The First Edition, an eclectic band that played a range from rock and R&B to folk and country. The group, which included Mickey Jones and Terry Williams, scored its first hit in 1968 with the psychedelic “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” The song attracted a new legion of fans when it was used in 1998’s The Big Lebowski. Rogers’ appeal prompted the band’s name change to Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Under its new moniker, it took the single “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” to the Billboard Top 10. The group generated 14 albums before disbanding in 1974.
It didn’t take long for Rogers to find success after going solo. Eleven consecutive studio albums reached the top 10 on Billboard’s country chart
Rogers was married five times and had five children. His family is planning a private service “out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency,” with a public memorial to be held later.
