Tag Archives | Kenny Rogers

CMT To Premiere “CMT Remembers Kenny Rogers” TONIGHT At 9PM ET/PT

By on March 21, 2020 in Uncategorized

CMT pays tribute to beloved country legend Kenny Rogers with “CMT Remembers Kenny Rogers,” a 30-minute specialhosted by Katie Cook premiering tonight, March 21st, at 9PM ET/PT.

Kenny Rogers is inducted into CMA’s Country Music Hall of Fame during a news conference on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

The special follows Rogers’ rise to fame featuring intimate first-hand interviews, anecdotes from country legends and live concert footage.  Join us in celebrating the life of a music icon as we explore his most memorable hits and collaborations that led him to superstardom.

The memorial special premieres tonight, March 21st, at 9PM ET with encore airings tomorrow, March 22nd at 11:30AM ET, Monday, March 23rd at 8PM ET and Tuesday, March 24th at 8:30AM ET.

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Kenny Rogers Passes Away At 81

By on March 21, 2020 in Uncategorized
Kenny Rogers had one of the most successful nights of his career, here he won Male Vocalist of the Year at “The 13th Annual CMA Awards” on Oct. 8, 1979, at the Grand Ole Opry House, live telecast on the CBS Television Network. Other nominees for Male Vocalist of the Year were John Conlee, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Willie Nelson and Don Williams. His album The Gambler also won Album of the Year, other nominees for it were John Conlee, Willie Nelson and Leon Russell and Johnny Paycheck.

Kenny Rogers, one of this century’s most legendary artists who treated the world to such classic hits as “The Gambler” and “Islands in the Stream,” passed away Friday, March 20, his family shared. He was 81.

“Kenny was one of those artists who transcended beyond one format and geographic borders,” says Sarah Trahern, Chief Executive Officer of the Country Music Association. “He was a global superstar who helped introduce Country Music to audiences all around the world. I had the pleasure of working with him over the years and I’ll always remember his graciousness and kind heart. He has left us with his music, some of which will go down as the most memorable performances in Country Music history. Our condolences go out to his family and friends at this sad time.”

Rogers parlayed a distinctive, husky voice and laid-back sex appeal into durable superstardom. Between 1977 and 1987 he logged 20 No. 1 Country hits, many of which climbed the pop charts. During his lengthy career the international star sold more than 50 million albums in the United States alone. Rogers was a five-time CMA Award-winner and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

Kenny Rogers is inducted into CMA’s Country Music Hall of Fame during a news conference on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

Rogers entered Country Music with a broad musical background. Growing up in public housing in Houston, he was exposed to R&B, pop, and jazz as well as Country. His first professional group was a late-1950s vocal act called the Scholars, which had local hits in Houston. “That Crazy Feeling,” a 1958 solo hit on Carlton Records, earned him an appearance on “American Bandstand.”

During the early 1960s, Rogers played bass, and occasionally sang, in a Houston jazz trio. Membership in the New Christy Minstrels folk group spurred the founding of the First Edition, in which Rogers and other former Minstrels mixed folk, rock and Country sounds. The new group went to No. 5 on the pop chart in 1967 with Mickey Newbury’s psychedelic “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” and gained several additional pop hits on Reprise Records.

After the group’s breakup in 1974, producer/executive Larry Butler signed Rogers to United Artists Records, on which he had modest hits until the stunning success of the mournfully catchy, Grammy-winning “Lucille” in 1977, which reached No. 1 on the Country chart and No. 5 on the pop chart. For the next dozen years Rogers logged hit after hit, including “The Gambler” (1978-79), penned by Don Schlitz, “She Believes in Me” (1979) and “Coward of the County” (1979-80). In 1980, on Liberty Records, Rogers’ No. 1 Country hit “Lady,” a romantic ballad written by pop star Lionel Richie, ruled the pop charts for six weeks. Successful duets included “Every Time Two Fools Collide” with Dottie West (1978) and the crossover smash “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer” with Kim Carnes (1980). In addition to his five CMA Awards wins, Rogers piled up three Grammys as the Country-pop era reached a peak, adding to his stature as one of Country’s first artists to sell out arena shows.

Already a veteran TV performer, Rogers gained further exposure through acting in made-for-television movies, including a series of five treatments of “The Gambler.” His hit “Love the World Away” was a theme song in the era-defining 1980 film “Urban Cowboy.” The 1980s also saw hits on Liberty and RCA, including “Love Will Turn You Around” (1982), the Sheena Easton duet “We’ve Got Tonight” (1983), and the memorable Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream” (1983), all Country No. 1s that made the pop charts. Rogers appeared front and center in the megastar collaboration “We Are the World” (1985), scoring additional chart-toppers such as “Crazy,” “Real Love,” and the sensual George Martin-produced “Morning Desire.” But the solo hit “Tomb of the Unknown Love” (1986) and the Ronnie Milsap duet “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine” (1986) were Rogers’s last No. 1 Country records until “Buy Me a Rose” (1999-2000), recorded with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean.

Rogers’ crossover approach began to work against him as pop took on a harder edge and younger Country artists went back to the music’s roots. Nevertheless, he invested in Branson, MO, ventures, published several well-received photography books, authored two children’s books, engaged in major philanthropic endeavors, and launched a chain of restaurants. Though his chart success slipped in the late 1980s and 1990s through stints with Giant, Atlantic, Reprise and Magnatone, “Buy Me a Rose” (on Dreamcatcher) gave him a boost at the outset of the 21st century. He continued to tour and released hits collections and albums of new material, the latter including “Water & Bridges” (Capitol Nashville, 2006), which yielded the Top 20 hit “I Can’t Unlove You.”

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Music Icon Kenny Rogers Announces Star-Studded Concert In Nashville Celebrating 60-Year Career

By on July 18, 2017 in In The Press
All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration,” an all-star concert event taping at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 7PM CT. This once-in-a-lifetime concert event will honor Kenny Rogers’ historic 60-year career and will feature the final performance together by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, one of popular music’s most beloved duets of all time.

“As I’m bringing this chapter of my career to a close, this will be an unforgettable way to celebrate with my talented friends, who I’m so grateful to have crossed paths with,” says Kenny Rogers. “It means so much that they would feel compelled to do this for me. Of course, the night would not be the same without Dolly Parton being part of it. We’ve enjoyed a special friendship for decades, and I’ll forever look back fondly on the many collaborations, performances, and laughs we’ve shared as some of the most extraordinary moments of my career. I know it will be a moving experience for us standing on that stage together for one last time.”

This one-night-only concert event taping will bring together fans, friends and music icons to celebrate Kenny Rogers. “All In For The Gambler” will feature performances by Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Little Big Town, Alison Krauss, The Flaming Lips, Idina Menzel, Jamey Johnson, Elle King and many other special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Kenny is like a family member to me. We have been friends for over 30 years and made musical magic together. Since 1983, when we released ‘Islands In The Stream,’ everyone has had an expectation to see Kenny everywhere I go and me with him wherever he goes,” says Dolly Parton. “Well, I guess for many of those fans that wanted to see us together, this will be that night. Performing with Kenny for the last time ever on October 25th is going to be emotional for both of us, but it’s also going to be very special. Even though Kenny may be retiring, as he fades from the stage, our love for each other will never fade away.”

Tickets go on sale July 21, 2017 at 10AM CT online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation and the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center.

In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Kenny Rogers has left an indelible mark on the history of American music. His songs have endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world. Chart-topping hits like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands In The Stream,” “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” and “Through the Years” are just a handful of Kenny Rogers’ songs that continue to inspire new generations of artists and fans alike. Rogers, with twenty-four number-one hits, is a Country Music Hall of Fame member, six-time CMA Awards winner, three-time GRAMMY® Award winner, recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, CMT Artist of a Lifetime Award honoree in 2015 and has been voted the “Favorite Singer of All Time” in a joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.

Blackbird Presents’ Keith Wortman, creator and executive producer of Nashville’s recent highly acclaimed “Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard,” is the creator and executive producer of “All In For The Gambler.” GRAMMY® Award Winner Don Was will serve as music director, and preside over a stellar house band backing the performers at this historic concert event taping. Kenny Rogers’ manager, Ken Levitan, also serves as executive producer. The event will be filmed and recorded for multi-platform distribution throughout traditional media (worldwide broadcast, music, and digital).

“Like millions of fans around the world, Kenny Rogers has been the soundtrack of my life. As he finishes out this beautiful victory lap of touring life, I am honored and privileged to create and produce a show celebrating this special artist on this monumental occasion.” says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW DETAILS, VISIT THE OFFICIAL CONCERT WEBSITE:

allinforthegambler.com
#allinforthegambler

# # #

About Blackbird Presents:
Blackbird Presents is a global media company that produces premium content via a range of strategies including large-scale concert events and festivals, broadcast series and specials, and music releases featuring major music stars across all genres and demographics.

Blackbird’s recent concerts, broadcast specials and releases include “Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard,” “The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson,” “Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert,” “Outlaw: Celebrating The Music of Waylon Jennings,” “I’ll Take You There: Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples,” “The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris,” “Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans,” “The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music,” and “All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman,” the latter of which earned a 2014 GRAMMY® Award nomination for Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal’s awe-inspiring performance of “Statesboro Blues.”

Blackbird Presents is also creator and producer behind the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, in partnership with Willie Nelson; the American Roots Music & Arts Festival, in partnership with Eric Church; and The Last Waltz 40 Tour.

Visit us at www.blackbirdpresents.com

About Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers began recording in the late 1950s, notching a local hit in the Houston, TX market with “That Crazy Feeling” that resulted in a national TV appearance on “American Bandstand.” After stints with the jazz group the Bobby Doyle Three and folk favorite The New Christy Minstrels, Rogers formed The First Edition in 1967. As the lead singer of the group, Rogers sang on the band’s biggest hits, such as “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” and “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town.” The group, who hosted their own syndicated television series, “Rollin’”, stayed together through 1975.

In 1976, Rogers signed a deal in Nashville with United Artists. With the help of producer Larry Butler, Rogers released “Lucille” in early 1977, his first No. 1 hit. The singer would tally many classics through the decade, including “Love Or Something Like It,” “Sweet Music Man,” “The Gambler,” and “Every Time Two Fools Collide,” which he recorded with the late Dottie West. Rogers was named Male Vocalist of the Year by both the CMA and the ACM, being also recognized as Entertainer of the Year by the latter in 1979.

In 1980, Rogers made musical history with his cross-over success of “Lady.” The Lionel Richie composition netted the singer a hit in the Country, Pop, AC, and R&B fields. The album from which the song was pulled, Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits, was certified Diamond for sales of over ten million units. In the 1980s, he stayed on top of the charts with hits like “I Don’t Need You,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” and “Morning Desire,” and sang on the GRAMMY® winning USA For Africa charity single, “We Are The World,” joined by an unprecedented number of music legends. He also established a successful career as an actor – with roles in The Gambler movie series – and as a photographer, with several published books of photos to his credit, including “This Is My Country.”

Rogers has sold over 120 million albums worldwide during his career, making him one of the best-selling male artists of all-time according to the RIAA, with twenty Platinum albums and eleven Gold. He has won awards from every organization imaginable, including multiple GRAMMY® Awards, as well as CMA, ACM, CMT, TNN, Music City News, and American Music Awards. In 2012, Rogers released his successful memoir, “Luck or Something Like It” and became a New York Times Best-Selling Author. In the fall of 2013, Rogers was bestowed with his biggest honor, being inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. He continues to endear himself to audiences through his timeless music, and appearances on television – including a well-received Geico commercial in 2015.

In the fall of 2015, Kenny Rogers made headlines with the announcement that he would soon embark on a farewell tour – after one of the most successful and iconic careers in the history of show business. The spring of 2016 saw the singer begin that process with his “The Gambler’s Last Deal” Final World Tour, saying goodbye to his loyal legion of fans one city and one night at a time in what has been a critically-acclaimed night of music and memories.

www.kennyrogers.com

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HOME FREE TO JOIN KENNY ROGERS MONDAY (12/14) ON NBC’s “THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON” MARKING THE VOCAL BAND’S LATE NIGHT TV DEBUT

By on December 12, 2015 in In The Press

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Photo credit: LeAnn Mueller

Columbia Records’ country sensation Home Free will break from their sold-out HOME FREE FOR THE HOLIDAYS tour to join music icon Kenny Rogers this Monday (12/14) on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Earlier this year, Home Free met the legendary singer when he invited them to join him on “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” featured on Rogers’ brand new ONCE AGAIN IT’S CHRISTMAS album (Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville). The music video for the collaboration racked up over one million YouTube views in just three weeks with the band’s loyal fans bringing their total YouTube views to a soaring 53 million.  On December 23 fans can also catch Home Free when they perform on Hallmark Channel’s two-hour lifestyle show, “Home & Family,” at 10am/9amCT.  

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Kenny Rogers Gets Us in the Christmas Spirit

By on October 16, 2015 in Interviews

Kenny Rogers - Once Again It's Christmas

Although Halloween is still a few weeks away, country music fans can get a head start on celebrating Christmas thanks to Kenny Rogers! The music legend recently released his first new holiday album in seventeen years! The project is called Once Again It’s Christmas and serves as Rogers’ sixth Christmas record overall.

If you think the Country Music Hall of Fame member needs to decorate the studio or wear a Santa hat to get into the spirit before recording, think again.

“The songs and the lyrics themselves put me in the Christmas spirit,” Rogers admits. “I do love singing Christmas music. I’ve never been overtly religious, but I’ve always been deeply spiritual. And I think Christmas gives me a chance to say that without saying it.”

Rogers furthers, “I’ve learned a long time ago – if songs don’t touch me, I can’t make ’em touch anyone else. If they touch me, I can usually make someone enjoy ’em enough to say ‘I like that song.'”

Several guest stars join Rogers on Once Again It’s Christmas including Jennifer Nettles, Alison Krauss, Jim Brickman, Home Free, and Winfield’s Locket. The Texas-native has had great success with duets because of a particular theory he has. “You never start with a partner. You start with a song, and you say, ‘Who could sing this song well?'” Rogers talks about working with Nettles and Krauss in the video below.

The Once Again It’s Christmas album art holds a special place in the singer-songwriter’s heart. It’s a photo that Rogers took himself. Yep! He sings. He writes. He produces. He takes fantastic pictures! The jack-of-all-trades describes himself as an impulsive obsessive.

Speaking of the holidays, FOCUS on the 615 wanted to know how far in advance Rogers does his Christmas shopping and if his 11-year-old twins (Jordan and Justin) have been good boys this year.

“I do that all year long. I see something that I think will be nice, and I’ll order it and put it away. And especially for the kids… I just bought them a couple of – I think they’re called hamster balls. Those round things you get in and you bump into each other. They’re always trying to kill each other.” Rogers says with a laugh, “So I thought I’d try to either make it easier for them or take away the danger.”

When asked about a gift that he has always wanted and still to this day has not received, Rogers shares, “A Ferrari. Talk to my wife!” Here’s to hoping Santa brings him one this year!

And if you’re wondering about his favorite classic Christmas song of all time, Rogers loves “White Christmas.” Oh and turkey is his go-to holiday food. “I know that’s Thanksgiving but…” We can’t blame him for that!

Once Again It’s Christmas is certainly a must-have for the holiday season. And you’ll want to catch Rogers out on the road on his Once Again It’s Christmas Tour featuring Linda Davis – which kicks off Nov. 11.

Rogers announced his retirement from touring on NBC’s The Today Show. See more here.

Dates for Rogers’ farewell world tour are coming soon.

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Kenny Rogers Joins First Edition Band Mates in Special Program Saturday, Jan. 17

By on January 5, 2015 in In The Press

imageWHAT: Panel Discussion: The First Edition Drops In

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Kenny Rogers made hit recordings, appeared on TV shows, and undertook successful tours as a member of the First Edition. In the process, Rogers laid the groundwork for his later solo stardom. In this free-ranging conversation, First Edition members Kenny Rogers, Mike Settle, Terry Williams, Mary Miller, and Gene Lorenzo will discuss the group’s impressive career, which included hits such as  “Just Dropped In (to See What Condition my Condition Was In)”; “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”; Settle’s original song “But You Know I Love You”; and “Ruben James.” Presented in support of the exhibit Kenny Rogers: Through the Years.

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Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Star In Video For “You Can’t Make Old Friends”

By on September 21, 2013 in In The Press

Dolly Parton and Kenny RogersThe world premiere of the video for “You Can’t Make Old Friends” – the new duet by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton – was broadcasted on ABC’s Good Morning America this past Monday, September 16th. Continue Reading →

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Billy Dean Joins Kenny Rogers on 31st Annual Christmas And Hits Tour‏

By on November 22, 2012 in In The Press

This holiday season, GRAMMY Award-winning country music star Billy Dean once again joins country legend Kenny Rogers on his annual Christmas & Hits Tour.  The 22-city tour kicks off this Friday, November 23 in Catoosa, Oklahoma and wraps December 23 in Westbury, New York.

Rogers’ annual holiday tour makes every concert a unique experience for each city by inviting local children’s choirs to accompany the duo on stage for the show.  Dean believes this is a heartwarming aspect of the tour and the part that he enjoys most.  “A big highlight is getting to rehearse each day with the local kids who join the show,” he says. “To use Kenny’s words, ‘it’s not Christmas until the choir sings.'”

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Kenny Rogers Christmas & Hits – The Holiday Tradition Continues

By on November 19, 2012 in In The Press

Music Icon Celebrates 31st Anniversary of Christmas & Hits Tour

Kenny RogersGrammy Award-winning music legend Kenny Rogers will celebrate the 31st Anniversary of his Christmas & Hits Tour in 2012 with a festive show featuring live performances of holiday classics and his biggest hits.  The one-of-a-kind vocalist and entertainer will perform at venues across America, once again joined by special guest Billy Dean, beginning on November 23rd in Catoosa, Oklahoma and wrapping December 23rd in Westbury, New York.

Rogers is known for creating an inviting atmosphere with his Christmas & Hits Tour, which consistently receives rave reviews and has become a holiday tradition in its own right since its start 31 years ago.  The “Christmas” portion of this year’s inviting set will include heartfelt performances of traditional and original songs such as “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Joy To The World,” and “Mary, Did You Know.”  Local choirs and children will have an opportunity to showcase their talents, having once again been chosen to perform with Rogers in each city of the tour.  Rogers will sing many of his timeless classics in the “Hits” segment of the show, including “Lady,” “The Gambler,” “Islands In The Stream,” “Daytime Friends,” “Lucille,” “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” “She Believes In Me,” “Coward Of The County,” “Through The Years,” and several more.

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