American country music singer Kenny Rogers dies At 81

Actor-singer Kenny Rogers, who embodied “The Gambler” persona and whose musical career spanned jazz, folk, country and pop has died at 81. One of the first country artists to sell out arenas, Mr. Rogers sold more than 100 million records in a career that spanned decades.

American singer Kenny Rogers, a prolific singer who played a major role in expanding the audience for country music in the 1970s and ’80s, died on Friday at his home in Sandy Springs, Ga. He was 81.

Kenny Rogers singer death was announced by his publicist, Keith Hagan. Mr. Hagan did not specify the cause but said Kenny Rogers singer had been in hospice care. Mr. kenny Rogers retired from performing for health reasons in 2018.

The American country music singer Kenny Rogers , winner of three Grammy Awards and 18 American Music Awards in a successful six-decade career marked by such hits as “The Gambler” and “Just Dropped In,” died at the age of 81, according to communicated the artist’s family.

Kenny Rogers singer is survived by his wife, Wanda, and Kenny Roger’s sons Justin, Jordan, Chris and Kenny Jr.  The family indicated that an intimate farewell ceremony will be organized , without this decision being related “to the national emergency situation caused by COVID-19” , the pandemic that is plaguing the world, but expressed that they hope to be able to publicly celebrate the life of the musician with his friends and fans later.

Kenny Rogers singer was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, for what organization officials called a “distinctive, husky voice.”He had 24 No. 1 hits and through his career more than 50 million albums sold in the US alone.He was a six-time Country Music Awards winner and three-time Grammy Award winner, Hagan said.

Some of his hits included “Lady,” “Lucille,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Islands In The Stream,” and “Through the Years.” Other hits included “You Decorated My Life,” “Every Time Two Fools Collide” with Dottie West, “Don’t Fall In Love with a Dreamer” with Kim Carnes, and “Coward of the County.” One of his biggest successes was “Lady,” written by Lionel Richie, a chart topper for six weeks straight in 1980. 

A true rags-to-riches story, Rogers was raised in public housing in Houston Heights with seven siblings. As a 20-year-old, he had a gold single called “That Crazy Feeling,” under the name Kenneth Rogers, but when that early success stalled, he joined a jazz group, the Bobby Doyle Trio, as a standup bass player.

At the age of 61, Kenny Rogers singer had a brief comeback on the country charts in 2000 with a hit song “Buy Me A Rose,” thanks to his other favorite medium, television. Producers of the series “Touched By An Angel” wanted him to appear in an episode, and one of his managers suggested the episode be based on his latest single. That cross-promotional event earned him his first No. 1 country song in 13 years.