Kenneth Donald Rogers was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas, the fourth of eight children. His family was very poor; his father a shipyard worker and his mother a worker in a local hospital. He was the first member of his immediate family to graduate high school, and he was attracted to the world of music at a very young age. As a teenager, he was part of a doo-wop group who called themselves, “The Scholars.” His singing career began to take off when he was 19 years of age with the release of the song, “That Crazy Feeling.” In the mid 1960s, he had another hit with a group known as The First Edition (“Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town”), which reached number 6 on American charts.
With the First Edition, Kenny hosted a television variety series from 1971-1973 entitled “Rollin’ On The River.” By the mid 1970s, the group disbanded and went their separate ways. Kenny Rogers was now a solo artist, and he began a string of hits, including: “Lucille”, “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer,” Through The Years,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Islands In The Stream” and “Lady.” By the late 1970s, he had sold more than $100 million dollars worth of records, but the 1980s would tell another story.
His career took a slump during the 1980s, and he wisely branched off into other areas, making the successful TV movie, “The Gambler” in 1980, which was based on his hit record by the same name of the year before. He also appeared on seasonal specials, published several books on photography and opened a chicken-fast-food enterprise. Less and less visible in the ensuing years, Kenny is content spending time on his 1,200 acre Georgia farm breeding Arabian horses and cattle. He seems to have found true happiness with his fifth wife, Wanda Miller, who he married in 1997. He is the father of five children.
People Magazine named him the “Favorite Singer of All Time” in 1986.
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