The country musician, Kenny Roggers, behind such hits as “The Gambler” and “Lady” over a six-decade career, has passed on at the age of 81.
According to Kenny Roggers management Music firm, SKH, “Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family,”.
Ourworldgist gathered that due to ravaging coronavirus out break, Kenny’s family plans a small private service due before his burial at a later date yet to be announced.
In a tweet posted by Kenny’s family, it reads, “The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.
Rogers is well-known for hits like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me” and “Through the Years.”
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The three-time Grammy winner and county music icon Dolly Parton were frequent collaborators and paired to make some of country music’s most enduring duets, including “Islands in the Stream,” “Love is Strange,” “Real Love,” and “You Can’t Make Old Friends.”
Rogers announced in 2015 that after spending more than 50 years in the business, he planned to retire and told NBC’s “Today” then that he was saying goodbye.
“I’ve done this long enough,” the Texas native said, adding that he wanted to spend more time with his children.
Rogers had 24 number-one hits over his career and is a six-time County Music Association winner. He had Grammy awards and was nominated 19 times.
The entertainer was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, the same year he was awarded the County Music Association’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Born in Houston on Aug. 21, 1938, Rogers garnered national attention with “That Crazy Feeling.” He formed the band The First Edition and sang on “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).”
Kenny Roggers who started his music career with a group, started his solo career after the group broke up and found a big hit with the sad country ballad “Lucille,” in 1977.
He found more success with “Love Or Something Like It,” “Sweet Music Man,” “The Gambler” and “Every Time Two Fools Collide,” as well as hits including “We’ve Got Tonight.” He recorded “Lady,” which was written by Lionel Richie, which saw success across different genres.
He moved beyond music to become the star of TV movies based on “The Gambler” and other songs, making him a superstar in the ’70s and ’80s. Despite his crossover success, he always preferred to be thought of as a country singer, The Associated Press reported.
“You either do what everyone else is doing and you do it better, or you do what no one else is doing and you don’t invite comparison,” Rogers said in 2015.
“And I chose that way because I could never be better than Johnny Cash or Willie or Waylon at what they did. So I found something that I could do that didn’t invite comparison to them. And I think people thought it was my desire to change country music. But that was never my issue.”
From all of us at Ourworldgist and lovers of country music, this is wishing the family of Kenny Roggers the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
