Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
    • Advertise
March 22, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

R.I.P. Kenny Rogers

Kenneth Ray Rogers has died. Known to the world as – he was sometimes the butt of jokes, more often celebrated (rightly) as a legendary singer and performer. He was a bit of a songwriter too, but his greatest skill was knowing what songs worked best – his greatest hits all covers; he celebrated the work of Lionel Richie, Prince, Bob Seger, the Bee Gees and many more. Transformed the work, collaborated – always celebrated.

Thing is, he was a businessman – because he could sure play. But a lot of people that played the shit out of whatever version of his greatest hits album they were raised on maybe didn’t know he was a bass player with jazz chops. It took a while for some people to find that he was in a band called First Edition and then became the star of that group and that the psychedelic pop classic, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) was Kenny; a showcase – an early star turn.

The Big Lebowski’s excellent placement of it made a few people suddenly decide Kenny was cool.

I always thought Kenny was cool.

He was the sound of summer to the six and seven and eight year old me. Clifton Beach and the tractor my granddad drove the kids out to Cape Kidnappers on has a score I hold forever in my heart – and it’s Kenny Rogers’ greatest hits. Lucille and Reuben James and Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town and Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer and We’ve Got Tonight and Coward of The County – and yes The bloody Gambler. Many more besides.

Top songs. Pop songs – dressed in rhinestones. Country songs allowed out to party on the pop charts.

He was a clever businessman.

Kenny was cool even though my folks and almost all of the adults I grew up around and all of my kid friends fucking loathed country music. But Kenny was allowed in (Dolly and Willie Nelson too, mostly by association). I would go on to get hooked on so many country artists and that started with a copy of The Most of Kenny Rogers.

He was everywhere too. On TV variety shows and in movies – we were allowed to stay up to catch a re-run of the movie they made around the song The Gambler. We were taken to the picture theatre to see Six Pack.

Kenny was cool.

He duetted with Sheena Easton and Kim Carnes – and Dolly Parton of course. He showed the world what a great country songwriter Lionel Richie was (and is).

And he knew how to put on a show. All the hits.

I saw him in the mid-90s. Hawke’s Bay. Far too many cowboy hats in the crowd. Far too many people really only there to hear The Gambler. But what a great show. All the hits. Of course…

I played The Gambler more than I ever cared to in a covers band at university. I even wrote a eulogy for Wellington’s busker called “Kenny” who would recite Rudyard Kipling’s poetry to me but later decided I was infected by the devil!

Kenny Rogers was 81. And he had been sick for a while and was in hospice care and many people made light jokes about his passing, in the wake of Covid-19 we’re searching for humour and a chance to momentarily escape. So it was that Kenny, “picked a fine time to leave us” and “knew when to fold ‘em” and so on.

Kenny was clever.

He was cool. He was smart. He was good. Really good.

And his music was some sort of mystical, magical and fucking-obvious gateway, a touchstone. Big proud songs with huge themes. Epic storytelling and a performance-style that always suggested wisdom, deep connection.

The soundtrack of my life. A big part of it at least.

R.I.P. Kenny Rogers


You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron

Posted in Blog, Miscellany and tagged with Eulogy, Kenneth Ray Rogers, Kenny Rogers, R.I.P. Kenny Rogers, R>I.P, The Gambler, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron. RSS 2.0 feed.
« Early James: Singing For My Supper
The Vinyl Countdown # 145 »

Popular

  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • John Patitucci / Vinnie Colaiuta / Bill Cunliffe: TRIO
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • V/A: True Colours, New Colours
  • Substack: “Sounds Good!”
  • Poem: “It Was Like Watching Myself Die”
  • Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 12 – Mick Fleetwood
  • Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Jon Mcleary Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spines Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Ghost of Electricity The Spines The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2021 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press