Kenny Rogers
Country
History
Kenny Rogers was born in Houston, Texas on August 21, 1938. He grew up with his parents and 6 siblings in a federal housing project. By high school, he knew he wanted to pursue a musical career. He started in a rockabilly band called The Scholars and had a few local hits. He released a single called "That Crazy Feeling" for Carlton labels. In 1966, he left the band to go to another group called the New Christy Minsterls. Then in 1967, he and some of the band members left to form the First Edition. They renamed the band to Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and had some hit singles like "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)." In 1974, Rogers left the band to go solo and decided to focus on country music. In 1975, he released his first solo that reached the top 20 called "Love Lifted Me." He also released a ballad called "Lucille" that went to No. 5 on the charts. The song gave him his first Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Rogers sometimes crossed over between country and pop music. He performed with Dolly Parton, Dottie West, and other top country stars. In 2013, he received a Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award and was indicted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He made over 65 albums in his career and continues to perform.
The Event
The event that propelled Kenny Rogers' career was the release of the single "The Gambler" in 1978. The song gave him his second Grammy and became a top pop and country hit.
Top Songs
- "The Gambler"
- "Islands in the Stream"
- "Lucille"
- "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town"
- "She Believes in Me"
- "You Can't Make Old Friends" feat. Dolly Parton
- "Lady"
Top Albums
- Eyes That See in the Dark
- She Rides Wild Horses
- Water & Bridges
- The Heart of the Matter
- The Gambler
Characteristics of Country Music
- It is a mix of American folk music and Western music.
- It includes instruments like banjo, harmonica, fiddle, and electric and acoustic guitar.
- There are many styles and forms of country music like rockabilly, country rock, honky tonk, and country soul.
Kenny Rogers - You Can't Make Old Friends (Audio) ft. Dolly Parton
"You Can't Make Old Friends"
S-main vocals, acoustic guitar, back up vocals, drum set, bass
H-acoustic guitar, drum set, bass
M- main vocals, back up vocals
R- in 4, moderate
G- intro- verse 1- chorus- verse 2- chorus- bridge- chorus- outro
- dynamics- soft- moderate- loud- soft
- genre- country
- shape- hill
Citations
"Kenny Rogers." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 01 May 2015
Richard A. Peterson (1999-12-15). Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity. University of Chicago Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-226-66285-5.