kenny-rogers

Kenny Rogers was born in Houston in 1938, the fourth of eight children, and grew up in the San Felipe Courts public housing project. He was the first member of his family to graduate from high school, and he started his music career in Houston doo-wop and jazz groups before joining the First Edition, whose psychedelic hit "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" made him a national name.

His solo country career made him one of the best-selling artists of all time. "Lucille," "The Gambler," "Coward of the County," and the Dolly Parton duet "Islands in the Stream" crossed over to pop audiences worldwide, and The Gambler spawned a string of TV movies starring Rogers himself. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and died in 2020.