70s Artist watch: Kenny Rogers IN MEMORY

UPDATE 21/3/20  BBC NEWS

American country music legend Kenny Rogers has died aged 81.

A family representative said he "passed away peacefully at home from natural causes".

Rogers topped pop and country charts during the 1970s and 1980s, and won three Grammy awards.

Known for his husky voice and ballads including The Gambler, Lucille and Coward Of The County, his career spanned more than six decades.

He once summed up his popularity by explaining that he believed his songs "say what every man wants to say and that every woman wants to hear".

After growing up in poverty on a federal housing estate in Houston, Texas, Rogers began recording with a string of bands, including Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, before launching his solo career in 1976.

Kenny Rogers was born as Kenneth Donald Rogers in Texas in 1938, and in the US has spent over 200 weeks in the charts covering many musical genres, but mostly of course country and western. Kenny had minor hits in the 1950s and 1960s, but then in the late 60s he joined the band called "The First Edition", which of course later became Kenny Rogers and The First edition.

The first single to enter the 70s music chart was the 1969 release of "Ruby, Don't take your love to town"
The song was originally a hit in 1967 by Johnny Darrell, who died in 1997.

Lyrics to Ruby,don't take your love to town"

Kenny split from The New Edition in 1976 and went solo, and one of his biggest hits was "Lucille"

Lyrics to "Lucille"

This song was to give him a Grammy and numerous country awards in 1977.

In 1979 he had a minor hit in the UK with "She believes in me", also releasing "Coward of the County", but that did not chart until February 1980.

But one that did chart in 70s music was the 1979 was"The Gambler" from the album of the same name. It was also the name of the TV series  for which it was the theme.
KENNY ROGERS AND THE FIRST EDITION BIO