Kenny Rogers, The #32 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

 

In 1980, Rogers partnered with Lionel Richie for Kenny's biggest career hit, "Lady".  The classic dominated the Singles chart for six weeks, sold over one million copies, and is one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

Included on his Greatest Hits album, "Lady" helped the project reach Diamond status and has now sold over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone.  Rogers earned American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Country Album for his Greatest Hits package and he was nominated for three more Grammys--Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male (for "Lady") and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group (for "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer").

Kenny starred in the television movie The Gambler, based on his hit song, the first of five such movies.

 Rogers purchased the former ABC Dunhill building and founded a state-of-the-art recording studio called Lion Share, later used by such artists as Michael Jackson, Chicago, Rod Stewart and Richie.  Richie produced Kenny's 1981 album Share Your Love.  The lead single "I Don't Need You" climbed to #1 on the AC chart and #3 overall.

 

The album reached #6 and gave Kenny four straight Platinum releases and seven consecutive Gold albums.  The title song, originally a hit for Aretha Franklin, also hit #1 Adult Contemporary and #5 in Canada.  Gladys Knight sings backing vocals on this winner.

 Rogers pulled a third big hit off the album with "Through The Years", a #1 Adult Contemporary smash.  It was written by Steve Dorff and Marty Panzer, who both had previous credits prior to combining for this effort.  Dorff wrote several songs for Anne Murray, including "I Just Fall In Love Again" while Panzer co-wrote with Barry Manilow, including "It's A Miracle" and "This One's For You".

Later that year, Kenny also released the album Christmas, which has now sold over two million copies.

 Rogers released the album Love Will Turn You Around in 1982.  The title song was featured in Kenny's movie Six Pack and earned a Grammy Award for Favorite Country Single and a nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male.  Rogers also won American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Country Male Artist for "Love Will Turn You Around", which topped both the AC and Country charts.

 

In 1983, Rogers released the compilation 20 Greatest Hits, which has sold over four million copies.  He began working with producer David Foster in a partnership that resulted in the album We've Got Tonight, another million-seller.  For the title song, Foster brought in Sheena Easton, and Kenny and Sheena scored a #2 Adult Contemporary hit that peaked at #6 overall.

 

Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees produced Rogers' 1983 album Eyes That See in the Dark.  Kenny and Dolly Parton achieved a rare triple #1 in both the United States and Canada (#1 Popular, #1 Adult and #1 Country) with "Islands In The Stream", which has topped two million in sales.  Rogers and Parton earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

Kenny and Dolly also won American Music Awards for Favorite Country Single and Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group while Rogers won awards for Favorite Country Male Artist and Favorite Country Album.  Kenny landed a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, for "All My Life".

 

It was one of Kenny's most successful albums, reaching #2 in New Zealand, #5 in Canada and #6 in the U.S. and selling over two million copies.  "This Woman" rose to #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

 Rogers won American Music Awards for Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Album.  The title song gave Kenny three Top 5 hits on the Adult chart from the album.

Rogers released the album What About Me? in 1984, his eighth consecutive Platinum and 11th straight Gold studio album.  Kenny, Carnes and James Ingram combined for a #1 AC hit.

Kenny's work with West, Parton and Easton is highlighted on his compilation album Duets, another million-seller.  Kenny reunited with Parton for the 1984 album Once Upon a Christmas, which has gone over two million in sales.

 Famed producer George Martin came in to work with Kenny on his 1985 album The Heart of the Matter, which extended that streak to 12 straight Gold studio albums.  "Morning Desire" hit #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

 Rogers and Parton reunited for the title song from Dolly's 1985 album Real Love, which earned a nomination for Best Vocal Performance by a Country Duo or Group at the Grammy Awards

Rogers and Parton also recorded a holiday album and television special, Once Upon a Christmas in 1985.  

Kenny joined 44 other artists to record the classic charity song "We Are The World" to benefit victims of famine in Africa.  The song, recorded at Rogers' Lion Share studio, held on to the #1 position for four weeks and has sold over two million copies.

Rogers released the albums They Don't Make Them Like They Used To in 1986 and I Prefer the Moonlight in 1987, neither of which were well-received, although the title song from the former earned a nomination for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture (Tough Guys) at the Golden Globe Awards.  Kenny came back for the 1989 album Something So Strong, another Gold album.

 Rogers and Ronnie Milsap combined for the song "Make No Mistake, She's Mine", which captured a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Kenny turned the 1989 album Christmas in America into Gold.  He released the compilation album 20 Great Years, which has gone over one million in sales.

Five studio albums followed from 1990 to 1997 with not near the airplay that Kenny once achieved.  Kenny did collect another Platinum album for his compilation Daytime Friends  - The Very Best of Kenny Rogers.

In 1991, Rogers co-founded the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters.  From 1992-1995, Kenny co-owned the Grand Palace Theatre in Branson, Missouri.  

 

Rogers and his fourth wife, Marianne Gordon, divorced in 1993.  Kenny married Wanda Miller on June 1, 1997.  That year, he released the album She Rides Wild Horses, his first Platinum album in 15 years.  One of the favorites among Kenny's fans is "The Greatest". 

Rogers released five studio albums since.  In 2002, Rogers released a compilation which included his work with the First Edition, 42 Ultimate Hits.

Rogers signed a new recording contract with Capitol and released the studio album Water & Bridges in 2006.

In 2012, Kenny released the book Luck or Something Like It:  A Memoir.  Rogers and Parton were nominated for Best Vocal Performance by a Country Duo or Group at the Grammy Awards for "You Can't Make Old Friends".

On September 25, 2015, Rogers announced that he was retiring after a final tour to spend more time with his family.  He had plans to tour the U.S., Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland, but on April 5, Rogers announced that he was canceling his remaining tour on the advice of doctors due to his health.  

In a joint poll of the readers of USA Today and People in 1986, Rogers was voted as the "Favorite Singer of All-Time". 

On March 20, 2020, Kenny died from natural causes at the age of 81 at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Kenny achieved 32 career Popular hits, with nine reaching the Top 10 and two #1's.  He excelled on the much-larger Adult Contemporary market, with 43 hits, an amazing 25 of which landed in the Top 10, and eight #1 songs.

Rogers' body of work includes 65 albums and he has sold over 120 million albums.

Kenny had two Grammy Awards (from 17 nominations) and 19 American Music Awards out of 25 nominations and also was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Kenny Rogers, the #32 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"I’ve been honored to have listened to your wonderful music and beautiful voice my whole life."

"Legend."

"Nobody can deliver a love song like Kenny Rogers."

"Spectacularly beautiful voice. Your phenomenal music will remain in our hearts forever."

"He had a style that will live on forever."

"Music that heals the soul."

"Nobody could tell a story like Kenny."

"A TRUE ICON. Thank you for bringing so much love and inspiration into our lives."

"One of my favorite singers of all-time!"

"Kenny Rogers, a unique artist with the voice of an angel that touches and moves my heart, There is magic and love in his voice."

"Rest in heaven Kenny, as your songs live on forever. I'll never forget you! Your songs have touched my life, in many ways. And, always will. You are a legend!"

"His music always touches my inner soul."

"Beautiful man, beautiful song. His voice is just amazing......."

"Kenny, you and your amazing and inspiring songs will live forever in the hearts of millions of people!"

"He has the most beautiful voice!! His music has so much meaning!!!"

"Kenny was simply the best, gorgeous voice."

"Incredible talent; One of those who CANNOT BE REPLACED!"

"This man was of of the greatest entertainers in history .... "

"One of the greatest talents!"

"Kenny Rogers is in a league of the best singers in the history of music."

"This world is a more beautiful place because of his songs."

"What an amazing singer. Kenny will live on forever through his outstanding music."

"He was fantastic. A true legend."

"One of the best singers of all-time. PRICELESS!"

"Kenny, your contributions and legacy will stay with us forever."

"Kenny Rogers brought so much joy and positive energy to every country in the world."

He began his career as a Rock & Roll artist, but his appeal was far and wide.

Kenny Rogers was born August 21, 1938 in Houston, Texas.  Kenny played in rock bands at an early age and released his first single under his given name of Kenneth Rogers in 1958 ("That Crazy Feeling").

Rogers married Janice Gordon on May 15, but the couple divorced a little less than two years later.  He married Jean Rogers a few months later, but that relationship ended in 1963.  A year later, Kenny married his third wife, Margo Anderson.

Kenny (standing, above left) then joined the jazz group The Bobby Doyle Trio, which was reasonably successful and released songs on Columbia Records.  The group split in 1965, and after another solo single failed, Rogers worked as a writer, session musician and producer for other artists, including Eddy Arnold and Mickey Gilley.  

(Rogers, second from left...)

In 1966, Rogers joined the New Christy Minstrels, playing double bass and singing.  The following year, however, Rogers, Thelma Camacho, Mike Settle and Terry Williams left the group to form the First Edition.  Kin Vassy soon joined and the group scored hits such as "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", "Something's Burning" and the psychedelic "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition Was In)".

The First Edition broke up in 1976, the same year that Rogers' marriage with Margo Anderson ended.  Rogers signed a recording contract with United Artists and began a solo career.  He released the album Love Lifted Me followed by his self-titled album later in the year.

Rogers married Marianne Gordon on October 1, 1977.  

Most music fans at the time were well aware of Rogers as being the distinctive voice behind the First Edition.  So when they heard "Lucille" in 1977, they were on board.  "Lucille", from his self-titled album which has been certified Platinum, climbed to #1 in 12 countries and sold over five million copies worldwide.

Rogers won a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male and an American Music Award for Favorite Country Single and was nominated for Favorite Male Country Artist at the American Music Awards for "Lucille".  Kenny released the album Daytime Friends later in the year, another million-seller, despite the fact that his best song, "Daytime Friends" stalled at #13 on the Adult chart and only reached #28 overall.

 

A year later, Rogers was back with the album Love or Something Like It, which kept his streak of Gold studio albums going at three in a row. The title song was a big Country hit and also got airplay on the Adult and Popular radio stations. It was just a hint of what Kenny was capable of.

"Sweet Music Man", which Kenny wrote himself, is another solid track.

Rogers released his first compilation album, Ten Years of Gold, in 1978, which has reached four million in sales in the U.S. alone.

Kenny won Grammy Awards for Favorite Country Album (for 10 Years of Gold in 1979 and The Gambler in 1980) and released what turned out to be his signature song, "The Gambler" in 1978 from the album of the same name.  

The song hit #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart but stalled at #16 on the Popular chart in one of the colossal mistakes of the Rock Era.  "The Gambler" is one of the prime songs in the category The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

The line "You've got to know when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em" became part of the public vernacular as a result of the song.  Kenny then combined with friend Dottie West for several albums and tours together.  Every Time Two Fools Collide reached Gold status in 1978 while Classics in 1979 went Platinum.

  

The single "What Are We Doin' in Love", from Dottie's album Wild West, reached #7 on the Adult chart and scored a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

Rogers and West were also nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group (for "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight") and Kenny was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male (for "Love Or Something Like It") at the Grammy Awards.

Rogers again won American Music Awards for Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Album and he won a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "The Gambler".  Kenny was also nominated for Record of the Year and Album of the Year, and The Gambler has now sold over five million units.

Radio stations caught blindsided by their failure to play "The Gambler" finally figured it out with the Gold single "She Believes In Me", a #1 smash on the Adult Contemporary chart and #5 overall in the U.S. and #8 in Canada and a million-seller.  Rogers received a nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

Kenny and Dottie West were again nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group (for "All I Ever Need Is You".

Rogers also released the album Kenny in 1979 and enjoyed huge success with the single "You Decorated My Life", #1 Country, #2 Adult Contemporary and #7 overall.  Debbie Hupp, who co-wrote the song with Bob Morrison, actually lived the lyrics she wrote.  She was a single mother with five children and had to work three jobs. So how did the phrase "you decorated my life" come to be?  According to Morrison's interview with The Tennessean, Debbie:

     ended up remarrying and she and her husband bought

     a house.  It was around Christmastime and she said,

     "I need to figure out how to decorate for Christmas."                 Bingo!  A light went off.  She brought a cassette 

     recorder into a car and started recording the melody.

 

The album reached #1 in Canada, #5 in the United States and #7 in the United Kingdom and has topped three million in sales.  Rogers released the single "Coward Of The County" from the album, a #1 smash in the U.K. and Canada, #3 in the United States, #6 in Australia and #8 in New Zealand.  It became Kenny's third Gold record.

Rogers received American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite Country Male Artist and Favorite Country Single (for "Coward Of The Country").  The compilation The Kenny Rogers Singles Album has also achieved Gold status.

 

In 1980, longtime friends Kim Carnes and her husband David Ellingson, who were with Rogers in the New Christy Minstrels, wrote songs for Kenny on his album Gideon.  Rogers and Carnes scored a huge hit with "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer", #3 in Canada and #2 on the AC chart and #4 Popular in the U.S., which earned a Grammy nomination for Favorite Country Single.

 

The album has sold over one million copies.  The single "Love The World Away", recorded for the movie Urban Cowboy, reached #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.  

Some of Kenny's biggest hits are coming up in Part Two!

Phil Collins, The #33 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

Be sure to listen to Part One 

and Part Two

first!

 

The following year, Collins released the album ...But Seriously.  David Crosby sang backing vocals on "Another Day In Paradise", one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  It dominated the music scene for four weeks on the Popular chart and five weeks on the AC chart in the U.S. and hit #1 in West Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland and #2 in the U.K., Austria and Ireland.  

For the second time in five years, Collins won the prestigious Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards and chalked up a Gold single.

Collins received eight other nominations at the Grammy Awards--Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Best Music Video, Short Form (for "Another Day In Paradise", Non-Classical Producer of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Instrumental Performance (for "Saturday Night And Sunday Morning" and Best Music Video, Long Form (The Singles Collection).

 
The album rose to #1 in every major country in the world and finished 1990 as the top-selling album in the United Kingdom.  It has sold over four million copies in the United States and over 14.5 million around the world.  The #3 smash "I Wish It Would Rain Down" included Eric Clapton on guitar and topped the Canadian chart for six weeks.

 Collins earned American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Pop/Rock Male Album.  He flew to #1 for five weeks on the AC chart and #4 overall with "Do You Remember?", which is about "how you might meet an old flame and start to reminisce, realizing that the reasons for breaking up were maybe not what you remembered," Collins told The Mail on Sunday.  "We paint ourselves into corners, and pride doesn't allow us to see things any other way."  Stephen Bishop, who wrote "Separate Lives" for him, sings backing vocals.  

 

Phil enjoyed another of his biggest and most enduring with "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven", a #2 smash with Adults and #4 overall.  For the second consecutive album, Collins enjoyed four Top 10 hits, and this time those four all peaked in the Top 5.  After an incredibly hot streak of 14 Top 10 songs in eight years, however, it was his last big hit.

Phil's album Serious Hits...Live! was #1 in West Germany and the Netherlands and is just short of 10 million units sold globally.  Phil received an honorary doctorate of music from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1991.

Genesis recorded the album We Can't Dance in 1991 and toured into the following year.  It was the final album Phil recorded with the band.

 Collins played all of the instruments on the album Both Sides in 1993, which reached #1 in the U.K., West Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland and landed in the Top 10 in every major country except the United States, where it stopped at #13.  Although his duet with David Crosby (who wrote the song and recorded it originally), "Hero", reached #3 on the AC chart, it stalled at #44 overall. 

 

The album nonetheless has topped four million in worldwide sales.  Phil officially left Genesis in 1996 and released the Gold album Dance into the Light in 1996.  Collins enjoyed one of the best tours of the year while promoting the album.  Although all of six singles failed to reach the Top 10, "Just Another Story" is a solid track.

Collins was nominated for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals for his collaboration with Quincy Jones and Sammy Nestico, "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me".  

 

Phil and his band concluded a world tour in 1998 with a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival.  Collins released his compilation album Hits, which has gone over 10 million in worldwide sales.  Phil recorded a remake of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" for the album and jumped to #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

In 1999, Collins released the live album A Hot Night in Paris.

 

Phil recorded the soundtrack for the animated movie Tarzan.  "You'll Be In My Heart" presided at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for 19 weeks, a record at the time.  He sang his songs in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish for the soundtrack.  With an overall peak of #21, it is an obvious choice for one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*. 

Collins earned an American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist for his work on Tarzan and won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "You'll Be In My Heart".  He won a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album and was nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.  In the summer, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The next year, however, Phil became partially deaf in one ear due to a viral infection.  In 2002, Phil was the drummer for the house band at the Party at the Palace concert in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.

 

In 2003, Collins was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  He released his solo album Testify, which was his lowest-selling album to date.  Phil notched his eighth #1 AC hit with another song that Popular radio stations missed the boat on--"Can't Stop Loving You", a song written and originally recorded by Billy Nichols.  Leo Sayer, the Outlaws and Keith Urban have also covered it.  

Collins recorded songs for the 2003 animated movie Brother Bear.  Phil went on tour in 2004 and 2005 before working with Disney on the musical production of Tarzan.

(Photo provided by ITV)

Phil joined Genesis for the Turn It On Again tour in 2007.  Collins announced in 2009 that because of his deaf ear, he wouldn't be able to drum again.  In 2010, he released an album of Motown covers called Going Back.  Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions originally recorded "You've Been Cheatin'".

The following year, he announced that he was retiring to concentrate on his family life with his third wife, Orianne. 

However, in 2015, Collins announced that he was planning to record a new album and tour.  In 2016, Phil released his autobiography, Not Dead Yet.  He toured that year in Europe, and tickets to all five shows at the Royal Albert Hall sold out in 15 seconds.

Phil has registered 27 career hits with a sensational 14 of those reaching the Top 10 and seven going to #1.  He has 19 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, with all but five of those hitting the Top 10 and eight #1's.  That consistent chart record makes Collins is one of the most reliable artists of all-time.  He owns a Diamond album, four that have sold at least four million, six that have sold at least three million and nine Gold albums and six Gold singles. 

Collins has bagged seven Grammy Awards from an impressive 24 nominations, three American Music Awards out of seven nominations, two Golden Globe Awards out of three nominations, two Oscars from three Academy Award nominations and one MTV Music Video Award from two nominations.

Collins has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, according to the Royal Albert Hall in London.