Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers; August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and actor. He was associated primarily with country music but achieved commercial success across multiple genres, including pop, rock, folk, and jazz. Over the course of his career, he recorded more than 120 hit singles and topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 cumulative weeks in the United States. He sold over 100 million records worldwide and is regarded as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 2013, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In the late 1950s, Rogers began his recording career with the Houston-based group the Scholars, who released "The Poor Little Doggie". He subsequently issued solo recordings, including "That Crazy Feeling" in 1958, before joining a group led by jazz singer Bobby Doyle. In 1966, he became a member of the folk ensemble the New Christy Minstrels, performing on double bass and bass guitar and contributing vocals. In 1967, he and several other members left to form the First Edition. The group achieved its first major success with the psychedelic rock single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the success of "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" in 1969, Rogers assumed a greater leadership role, and the band gradually incorporated more country elements into its sound. The First Edition disbanded in 1975–76. Rogers then established a solo career that included collaborations with Dottie West, Dolly Parton, and Sheena Easton, as well as a songwriting partnership with Lionel Richie. His 1978 single "The Gambler" became one of his most recognized recordings. It won a Grammy Award in 1980 and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. The song inspired a series of television films beginning with "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler" in 1980, in which Rogers portrayed the title character. Among his best-known albums are "The Gambler" and "Kenny", both of which have been cited in discussions of influential country recordings. He received numerous awards during his career, including American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, and Country Music Association Awards, as well as a lifetime achievement award in 2003. In 2006, he released the album "Water & Bridges", which reached the top five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and also entered the top 15 of the Billboard 200. Its lead single, "I Can't Unlove You", achieved chart success. Rogers continued to tour internationally until his retirement in 2017. In addition to his music career, Rogers acted in film and television. His credits include the title role in "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler", appearances in the MacShayne series for "The NBC Mystery Movie", and a starring role in the 1982 film "Six Pack". He was also a co-founder of the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters, established in partnership with former KFC chief executive John Y. Brown Jr. Although the chain ceased operations in the United States, it continues to operate in parts of Asia. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Rogers Studio albums Love Lifted Me (1976) Kenny Rogers (1976) Daytime Friends (1977) Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) (1978) Love or Something Like It (1978) The Gambler (1978) Classics (with Dottie West) (1979) Kenny (1979) Gideon (1980) Share Your Love (1981) Christmas (1981) Love Will Turn You Around (1982) We've Got Tonight (1983) Eyes That See in the Dark (1983) What About Me? (1984) Once Upon a Christmas (with Dolly Parton) (1984) The Heart of the Matter (1985) They Don't Make Them Like They Used To (1986) I Prefer the Moonlight (1987) Something Inside So Strong (1989) Christmas in America (1989) Love Is Strange (1990) Back Home Again (1991) If Only My Heart Had a Voice (1993) Timepiece (with David Foster) (1994) Vote for Love (1996) The Gift (1996) Across My Heart (1997) Christmas from the Heart (1998) She Rides Wild Horses (1999) There You Go Again (2000) Back to the Well (2003) Water & Bridges (2006) The Love of God (2011) You Can't Make Old Friends (2013) Once Again It's Christmas (2015) Life Is Like a Song (2023) <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Kenny+Rogers">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.