We lost another one of the good ones
... the world was quite saddened as news of Kenny Rogers' passing circulated this weekend. He was 81.
Rogers was an ensemble player in The
New Christy Minstrels when he was motivated to step out on his own, forming The
First Edition. They were an immediate
success, placing “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”
in The Top Ten (#3 in Record World, #5 in Cash Box and #8 in Billboard) in
early 1968.
More hits followed, including: “But You Know I Love You” (#15, 1969); “Ruby,
Don’t Take Your Love To Town” (by which time the name of the group had been
changed to Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, #6, 1969); “Reuben James” (#14,
1969); “Something’s Burning” (#5, 1970); “Tell It All, Brother” (#12, 1970); “Heed
The Call” (#20, 1970) and “Someone Who Cares” (#39, 1971).
The band even hosted its own syndicated
television show which featured several other performing artists of this era, many
of whom didn’t typically make television appearances, before they disbanded in
1975.
Focusing his solo career on the
country charts (keep in mind that Rogers’ first hit bordered on psychedelia …
and, in fact, was voted your #12 Favorite Psychedelic Song of All Time when we
ran our poll in 2005), Rogers reinvented himself in a HUGE way, becoming one of
the biggest recording artists worldwide.
(Many of those hits also crossed over to the pop charts in a very big
way, including the Top Ten Hits “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” “You Decorated
My Life,” “Coward Of The County,” “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer,” recorded
with Kim Carnes, “Love The World Away,” “Lady,” written by Lionel Richie, “I
Don’t Need You,” “Through The Years,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” recorded with Sheena
Easton and, of course, “Islands In the Stream,” the #1 smash written by The Bee
Gees and recorded by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.)
We’ve given Kenny the spotlight
treatment here in Forgotten Hits several times over the years …
Rather than rehash it all here
again, you'll find the links you need below to enjoy the best of these pieces … (please
do … I have always felt that this was one of our most under-rated series!)
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-kenny-rogers-week-in-forgotten-hits.html
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-kenny-rogers-week-in-forgotten-hits.html
According
to his official representative, “Kenny Rogers passed away peacefully at home from
natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.”
Due
to the national coronavirus pandemic, the family is planning a small private
service ... and a larger-scale, public memorial will be planned at a later
date.
After
sixty years of performing, Rogers’ farewell tour began in 2017, and ran through
early 2018, at which time he called off the remaining dates in April of that year due
to unspecified “health challenges.”
“I didn’t want to take forever to retire,”
Rogers said in a statement. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say
farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on ‘The Gambler’s
Last Deal’ tour. I could never properly thank them for the encouragement and
support they’ve given me throughout my career and the happiness I’ve
experienced as a result of that.”
During
the course of his incredible career, Kenny was featured on a staggering 30
Number One singles spread out across the U.S. pop, country, and adult
contemporary charts from 1977 to 1999. Along
the way, he also earned three Grammys, five CMA awards, and eight ACM awards,
along with membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame. During the course of
his career, he sold more than 100 million records worldwide. To say that he made his mark on the musical
landscape is an understatement of epic proportions. You’ll find much more about his remarkable
career via the links above. (kk)
THE KENNY ROGERS HIT LIST:
Here
is a complete list of every Top 50 Hit Kenny had on both Billboard’s Pop Music
Chart AND their Country Chart. Again, the
list is nothing short of staggering.
(POP = 5 / COUNTRY = xx)
1969 –
But You Know I Love You (with The First Edition) POP = / COUNTRY = xx
1969 –
Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)
POP = 6 / COUNTRY = 39
1969 –
Reuben James (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)
POP = 26 / COUNTRY = 46
1970 –
Something’s Burning (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)
POP = 11 / COUNTRY = xx
1970 –
Tell It All Brother (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)
POP = 17 / COUNTRY = xx
1970 –
Heed The Call (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)
POP = 33 / COUNTRY = xx
1976 –
Love Lifted Me (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19)
1976 –
While The Feeling’s Good (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 46)
1976 –
Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)
POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19
1977 –
Lucille (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = #1)
1977 –
Daytime Friends (POP = 28 / COUNTRY = #1)
1978 –
Sweet Music Man (POP = 44 / COUNTRY = 9)
1978 –
Every Time Two Fools Collide (POP = 101
/ COUNTRY = #1)
1978 –
Love Or Something Like It (POP = 32 /
COUNTRY = #1)
1978 –
Anyone Who Isn’t Me Tonight (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 2)
1979 –
The Gambler (POP = 16 / COUNTRY = #1)
1979 –
All I Ever Need Is You (POP = 102 /
COUNTRY = #1)
1979 –
She Believes In Me (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = #1)
1979 –
Til I Can Make It On My Own (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 3)
1979 –
You Decorated My Life (POP = 7 / COUNTRY = #1)
1980 –
Coward of The County (POP = 3 / COUNTRY
= #1)
1980 –
Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer (with Kim Carnes)
POP = 4 / COUNTRY = 3
1980 –
Love The World Away (POP = 14 / COUNTRY
= 4)
1980 –
Lady (POP = #1 / COUNTRY = #1)
1981 –
What Are We Doin’ In Love (with Dottie West)
POP = 14 / COUNTRY = #1
1981 –
I Don’t Need You (POP = 3 / COUNTRY = #1
1981 –
Share Your Love With Me (with Gladys Knight and the Pips)
POP = 14 / COUNTRY = 5
1982 –
Blaze Of Glory (POP = 66 / COUNTRY = 9)
1982 –
Through The Years (POP = 13 / COUNTRY =
5)
1982 –
Love Will Turn You Around (POP = 13 /
COUNTRY = #1)
1983 –
We’ve Got Tonight (with Sheena
Easton) POP = 6 / COUNTRY = #1
1983 –
All My Life (POP = 37 / COUNTRY = 13)
1983 –
Scarlet Fever (POP = 94 / COUNTRY = 5)
1983 –
Islands In The Stream (with Dolly Parton)
POP = #1 / COUNTRY = #1
1984 –
You Were A Good Friend (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 20)
1984 –
Buried Treasure (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 3)
1984 –
This Woman (POP = 23 / COUNTRY = xx)
1984 –
Together Again (with Dottie West) POP =
xx / COUNTRY = 19)
1984 –
Eyes That See In The Dark (POP = 79 /
COUNTRY = 30)
1984 –
Evening Star / Midsummer Nights (POP =
xx / COUNTRY = 11)
1984 –
What About Me? (with Kim Carnes and James Ingram)
POP = 15 / COUNTRY = 70
1985 –
Crazy (POP = 79 / COUNTRY = #1)
1985 –
Love Is What We Make It (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 37
1985 –
Real Love (with Dolly Parton) POP = 91 /
COUNTRY = #1)
1986 –
Goodbye Marie (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46)
1986 –
Tomb Of The Unknown Love (POP = xx /
COUNTRY - #1)
1986 –
The Pride Is Back (with Nickie Ryder)
POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46
1987 –
Twenty Years Ago (POP = xx / COUNTRY =
2)
1987 –
Make No Mistake, She’s Mine (with Ronnie Milsap)
POP = xx / COUNTRY = #1
1987 –
I Prefer The Moonlight (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 2)
1988 –
The Factory (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 6)
1988 –
When You Put Your Heart In It (POP = xx
/ COUNTRY = 26)
1989 –
Planet Texas (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 30)
1989 –
The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True To You)
POP = xx / COUNTRY = 8
1989 –
If I Ever Fall In Love Again (with Anne
Murray) POP = xx / COUNTRY = 28
1990 –
Maybe (with Holly Dunn) POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 25
1990 –
Love Is Strange (with Dolly Parton) POP
= xx / COUNTRY = 21
1992 –
If You Want To Find Love (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 11)
1999 –
The Greatest (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)
2000 –
Buy Me A Rose (with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean)
POP = 40 / COUNTRY = #1
2000 –
He Will, She Knows (POP = xx / COUNTRY =
32)
2001 –
There You Go Again (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)
2001 –
Beautiful (All That You Could Be) POP =
xx / COUNTRY = 47
2001 –
Homeland (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 39)
2002 –
Harder Cards (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 47)
2003 –
I’m Missing You (POP = xx / COUNTRY =
49)
2003 –
Handprints On The Wall (POP = xx /
COUNTRY = 40)
2006 –
I Can’t Unlove You (POP = 93 / COUNTRY =
17)
