On this day (March 20) in 2020, Kenny Rogers died at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia, after a years-long battle with bladder cancer. He left behind a massive musical legacy that transcended genre lines. With his trademark husky voice, he dominated the country charts in the 1970s and ’80s. Many of his songs also charted high on the Hot 100. Later, Rogers starred in a series of films based on his hit song “The Gambler.”
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Rogers landed his first hit long before he became a country star. In 1967, he reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 with “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In),” as part of The First Edition. Three years later, the band, which blended rock, country, and psychedelic pop, became Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Five years later, the band split, and Rogers kicked off his solo career.
[RELATED: On This Day in 1977, Kenny Rogers Landed His First Solo Hit With a Song His Mother Hated]
When Rogers left the band, he took on a middle-of-the-road country sound that played well on both pop and country charts. His first solo single and title track from his solo debut, “Love Lifted Me,” reached No. 19 on the country chart in late 1975. Two years later, he found his first crossover hit with “Lucille.” It topped the country chart and reached No. 5 on the Hot 100. Moreover, it was the beginning of a long line of hits.
Kenny Rogers Soars to Stardom
“Lucille” kicked off a long line of country hits for Kenny Rogers. He released 18 consecutive top 10 singles. Ten of those, including “The Gambler,” “Lady,” and “Coward of the County,” went to No. 1. The streak spanned six years until “All My Life” peaked at No. 13 in 1983.
He released several more hits throughout the decade. “Islands in the Stream,” his duet with Dolly Parton, topped the multiple charts around the world. “Crazy,” “Tomb of the Unknown Love,” and “Morning Desire” were also chart-toppers for Rogers. His popularity declined as tastes changed in the 1990s. However, he still managed a handful of top 40 country hits. In 1999, Rogers partnered with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean for “Buy Me a Rose,” which became his final No. 1.
“The Gambler” Dominates the Small Screen
Kenny Rogers was no stranger to being in front of the camera. He appeared on TV several times while in the First Edition. The band even appeared in a made-for-TV movie called The Dream Makers.
Roger’s massive 1978 hit “The Gambler” inspired a series of TV movies. The first in the franchise, The Gambler, aired for the first time in 1980. Rogers played the lead role of Brady Hawks. The next year, he appeared in Coward of the County, based on another of his hit songs. However, it didn’t spawn sequels. The Gambler, on the other hand, did. Rogers reprised the role of Brady Hawks four more times. The last of the series, The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, aired in 1991.
Featured Image by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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