When it comes to legendary figures in country and pop music, it’s hard not to mention Kenny Rogers, who captivated audiences for decades with his smooth voice and storytelling lyrics. Rising to fame in the late 1960s, Rogers became a household name with hits like “The Gambler,” “Lucille,” and “Islands in the Stream.”
His music told stories of love, heartache, and life’s simple truths. Rogers’ impact on music was undeniable, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate with fans worldwide. Despite his fame, there are untold stories about him that few know.
1. Kenny Rogers played a key role in forming the Eagles
Kenny Rogers and Don Henley shared a deep bond, with Rogers playing a crucial role in Henley’s success with the Eagles.
Before Henley became an Eagle, he was part of a band called Shiloh. After a meeting at a Dallas clothing store, Rogers mentored the group, helping them land a record deal and producing their debut album in 1970.
He even brought Shiloh to Los Angeles. When the band eventually split, Henley joined forces with Glenn Frey and others to form the Eagles.
“In addition to his tremendous talent, Kenny was a generous and caring man, a wise mentor to so many of us,” Henley told Billboard in a statement. “He loved his friends, his family, his fellow musicians and his fans, and they loved him, right back. Fifty years ago, The Gambler took a gamble on me and my first band from small-town Texas, and his big-hearted support launched many careers, including mine. He also gave me some of the best career advice I ever got: ‘You’d better be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because you’re going to meet those same people on the way back down.’”
In 2006, the two reunited for a duet on Rogers’ album Water & Bridges, singing together on the track “Calling Me.”
2. His duet with Dolly Parton on “Islands in the Stream” came together almost by chance
During the recording of what would become one of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s most iconic duets, Rogers found himself struggling with the song. After days of laying down his vocals, he was growing frustrated and doubting the track’s potential. That’s when Barry Gibb, a co-writer of the song, suggested a spark of genius – bring in Dolly.
“And I finally looked at him and said, ‘Barry, I don’t even like this song anymore,'” Rogers said, according to the Tennessean. “And he said, ‘You know what we need? We need Dolly Parton.'”
As fate would have it, Parton was in the same LA studio. Her presence revitalized the song instantly, and what started as a challenging project became a timeless hit. The magic between the two artists took the song to unforgettable heights.
One more time, they reunited for another memorable duet, “You Can’t Make Old Friends,” which has amassed nearly 14M views on YouTube:
3. Despite not knowing how to play the bass, Kenny became the bassist for the Bobby Doyle Trio
In 1959, Kenny Rogers became part of the Bobby Doyle Trio, a jazz group, after frontman Bobby Doyle spotted his talent and asked him to join as their bassist, according to the Tennesseean. Although Rogers wasn’t originally a bass player, he accepted the offer.
His time with the group helped him form connections with notable musicians who would become his early collaborators, like Mickey Gilley.
Interestingly, Rogers’ skill on the upright bass played a crucial role in Gilley’s career, as he contributed to Gilley’s first charting song in Houston. “A lot of folks didn’t know this, but Kenny played the upright bass on my first song that charted in Houston,” Gilley said.
4. Kenny Rogers co-founded the famous Kenny Rogers Roasters chain
Back in the day, it wasn’t unusual for music stars to branch out into the business world. Take Willie Nelson, who launched Old Whiskey River, or Kenny Chesney, who created Blue Chair Bay Rum.
In 1991, country music legend Kenny Rogers teamed up with former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr. to start his own chicken restaurant chain called Kenny Rogers Roasters. Though the brand is no longer found in the U.S., it once had a strong presence and even became a household name.
Its first store opened in Coral Springs, Florida, and quickly gained popularity for its signature woodfire-roasted chicken, as reported by Wide Open Eats. The chain served a “specialty of woodfire-roasted chicken plus homemade muffins, jacket potatoes, vegetable salads, pastas, soups, desserts, and beverages.”
Within four years, the chain had expanded to 350 locations across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, even adding items like turkey and ribs.
Its success also came with struggles as the chicken chain competed against big names Boston Chicken (now known as Boston Market) and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The chain also faced legal battles.
In 1992, Miami’s Cluckers Wood Roasted Chicken filed a $10 million lawsuit, accusing Rogers’ chain of copying its wood-roasted concept. The dispute settled in 1994 when Kenny Rogers Roasters bought a majority stake in Cluckers.
After filing for bankruptcy in 1998, the company was sold to Nathan’s Famous for $1.25 million. A decade later, it was sold again to Roasters Asia Pacific, owned by Berjaya Group of Malaysia, expanding to markets in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Dubai.