Did You Know That During a Career Low, Kenny Rogers Almost Left Music?

Becoming famous is incredibly difficult, and staying famous is also incredibly difficult. A lot of people likely think that once fame is acquired, it’s over, done, and the person in question can live happily ever after in the limelight with their riches. That is not the case in the slightest, and like most endeavors, work often begets more work. Kenny Rogers once struggled to recapture his booming success in the music industry, and consequently, he considered leaving the industry behind and becoming a full-time TV actor.

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In the 1970s and 1980s, Kenny Rogers was one of the biggest country music singers in the game. Thanks to hits such as “Island In The Stream”, “The Gambler”, and “Coward Of The County”, Rogers was a household name, and what further amplified his celebrity status were his roles in network television movies such as Kenny Rogers As The Gambler and Kenny Rogers: Coward Of The County.

Now, Rogers’ music career in the 1990s did not match the success of the prior decades. Thanks to the surplus of new talent arriving in the country music scene in the 1990s, Rogers’ career took a bit of a hit. However, he had an alternative career in his back pocket—being a full-time actor.

According to Kenny Rogers, “TV Is What Saved” the Singer

Opening up about his music-career drought, Rogers stated in his memoir, Luck Or Something Like It, “I have always been fortunate to have a presence on television, and during this very painful and drawn-out recording drought, TV is what saved me.”

Rogers continued, “I have to admit there was a certain satisfaction in doing something that had been totally against what was my norm and being successful.” “It’s amazing what helping networks win a couple of sweeps will do…NBC was now calling and wanting to do a series of movies with me. At that point, I actually thought, ‘Who needs music, anyway,’” concluded the hit country singer.

Luckily, Rogers continued to star in television movies and create hit tracks. During the decade, Rogers appeared in television movies Rio Diablo and Gambler V Playing for Keeps. On top of those roles, Rogers also scored massive success with the late 90s singles  “The Greatest” and “Buy Me a Rose”.

Needless to say, staying famous, successful, and personally profitable is no easy feat. Just look at Kenny Rogers and the fleeting thought he once briefly entertained decades and decades ago.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns