When I Say “Play Some Country Music” This Kenny Rogers Performance of His Signature 1970s Classic Is Exactly What I Mean

What does it mean to play some country music? When asked, some might pick hits from Randy Travis, Hank Williams, or Shania Twain. Others tend to embrace the new age of country music with stars like Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, or Luke Combs. For a select few, they would play the honky-tonk years of Ray Price. But when wanting a single performance that bottled up the heartbreak, whiskey, and soul of country music – nothing compared to when Kenny Rogers went all in on this classic performance of “The Gambler.” 

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Released in 1978, “The Gambler” was written by Don Schlitz while he worked as a computer operator on Music Row. Pulling the graveyard shift, the songwriter had spent years pursuing a career in the music industry. And while walking home one evening, the idea of a gambler offering some wisdom from his journeys struck the writer. “In that 20 minutes I wrote most of it in my head. I didn’t write a last verse, had no idea what was gonna happen, thought it was an interesting story but it was a throwaway. I spent about six weeks trying to figure out what was gonna happen after the chorus.”

Presented to Rogers, the country singer took the song to No. 1 on the US Hot Country Songs chart when it was released on the album, The Gambler. Not only did the song top the charts, but it brought Rogers a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. While the fame and accolades added to the legacy of Rogers, it was the perfect blend of masterful storytelling and legendary showmanship that made the performance truly timeless. 

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Kenny Rogers Hit The Jackpot With “The Gambler”

While fans continue to revisit the performance from Rogers, “The Gambler” was nearly forgotten. According to Schlitz, when he first wrote the lyrics, “Nobody would touch it.” Having a difficult time selling the idea, he recorded his own version. From there, it caught the attention of Larry Butler, who happened to be working with Rogers and Johnny Cash at the time. 

Showing the song to both singers, the hit slipped away from Cash as he fought with drug addiction at the time. Loving the premise around “The Gambler”, Rogers stepped into the studio, but had another singer in mind – Willie Nelson.

Recalling a conversation he had with Rogers, Nelson explained, “We were somewhere, I don’t know, and he was like, ‘I think you should do it,’ and he played it for me and I said, ‘You know, I think it’s a great song, but I don’t think I’m going to do it,’ because at the time, I was doing a song every night called ‘Red Headed Stranger’ which has 100 verses in it. I just didn’t want to do another long song, so he said, ‘Okay, I will record it myself,’ so he did.”

As if fate had already chosen its dealer, Rogers turned “The Gambler” into one of the most iconic songs in country music history. And decades later, the performance still feels like the lead single to America’s soundtrack.

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)