Kenny Rogers the Country Super Star Passed at Age 81

The smooth Grammy-winner who was also the winner of many other awards, and a Balladeer. Kenny Rogers was 81 when he passed on Friday. Kenny touched genres such as Jazz, country, folk, and Pop to create many hits. He also sang with the great country and western singer, Dolly Parton when he did the song “Island in the Streams”.

Apart from winning Grammys and having a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. He was also an actor who embraced his persona as the “Gambler” on TV and on records.

He died at home on March 20, 2020, in Georgia. He was being cared for at a hospice and he passed on because of natural causes.

Dolly Parton is now grieving, she says a big ole chunk of her heart is now gone.

Kenny transcended borders and introduced country music to audiences from many places.

In 2015 he told the Associated Press that ” you either do what everyone else is doing and do it better or you do what no one else is doing and don’t invite comparison.” 

He sold more than 47 million records in the USA according to a statement released by the Academy of Country Music.

Kenny Rogers was raised in public housing in Houston, USA with 7 siblings. He did a gold single “That Crazy Feeling” at the age of 20. Eventually, his early success stalled, and he decided to join a jazz group known as the “Bobbly Doyle Trio” and he was the stand-up bass player.

He found success after he joined the folk group known as the New Christy Minstrels in 1966 and they had a hit song, “Just Dropped In (To see what condition my condition was in)”. 

The group fell apart in 1974 and Kenny started his solo career and managed to make a big hit with the country ballad “Lucille” in 1977, it crossed over to the pop charts and caused him to win a Grammy. He became a hitmaker after that and kept on making hits for a long time.