Late country singer Kenny Rogers's fans are beyond thrilled as the singer's first posthumous album, Life Is Like a Song, is scheduled to release in June. Rogers, who charted more than 120 singles in his decades-long career and attained the stature of a country legend, passed away from natural causes in 2017. The beloved singer's upcoming album will be the first non-holiday studio album from him in a decade.
Kenneth Ray Rogers was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas. His early ventures in the music industry started with the jazz group called the Bobby Doyle Three, and later in the rock band the First Edition, which Kenny formed with other fellow members. Rogers achieved moderate fame with the band but it was only after its disbandment which prompted the onset of Kenny's solo career that he rose to become a sensation. Rogers, who died at 81, married five women in his lifetime, and fathered five children with four of his wives.
Inside Kenny Roger's Five Marriages!
The Gambler hitmaker was quite the gambler when it came to love. Kenny probably romanced his and others' share of women, considering that he married five of them. The first woman to walk down the aisle with the country singer was Janice Gordan. Although not much is known about Kenny's marriage with Janice, the pair reportedly tied the knot as teenagers in 1958- only to end it after one year in 1960.
The singer later blamed early marriage to be the reason behind their split. Kenny allegedly got Janice pregnant, which was why the duo had to go ahead with the wedding like they did in the oldest times. The pair's daughter, Carole Lynne, was born in 1958. The Coward of the Country singer didn't maintain his divorcee status for long as he delved into marriage the same year he got divorced from Janice. Rogers and Jean Rogers exchanged their vows in October 1960 and called it quits in 1963.
Reflecting on his second brief marriage, Kenny said, "That only lasted three years because we finally realized this isn't right – and in the end, it was boring for me and for her." The Grammy winner found love again. He married Margo Anderson in 1964. Unlike his previous short nuptials, Kenny found a much more enduring and meaningful relationship with Anderson. The pair were married from 1964 to 1976, during which they welcomed one son, Kenny Jr.
"The first nine years were as good as it gets, and it was only the last few that got ugly," Rogers said about his relationship with Anderson. He went on to share that his flourishing career ended up being the catalyst of their separation. "I was touring a lot and that is part of what killed the marriage," Rogers said. Life went on for the country singer as he walked down the aisle for the fourth time, and again, just a year after his third divorce. Kenny married his fourth wife, actress Marianne Gordon, also the best-known of his wives, in October 1977. The couple's marital bliss lasted even longer than Rogers' third marriage.
The pair welcomed a son, Chris, in 1982, and ended their marriage after over two decades in 1993. As per Gordon, their marriage failed because of Rogers' mid-life crisis. The Love Lifted Me crooner died a married man. Kenny is survived by his last wife, Wanda Miller, who he married in 1997. During an interview before his death, the country singer called Wanda his soulmate. "She's 28 years younger than me, and I say this from the bottom of my heart — she is my soul mate," the singer gushed. Rogers had twin sons from his last marriage.
Get to Know Kenny Rogers' Kids!
The legendary singer is survived by his several ex-wives and the kids he shared with them. Kenny's oldest, daughter Carole, is also his only daughter. Unfortunately, because of his brief marriage with Carole's mother and strained relationship with the in-laws, Kenny was only allowed one visit per week with his daughter. In his biography, Luck or Something Like That, Rogers reveals that it was his first ex-wife's second husband, who became the father figure in his daughter's life and even adopted her.
The Grammy winner's second kid, Kenny Jr., is an actor and composer. The late singer didn't share an ideal father-son bond with Junior. In fact, Rogers once candidly shared that he longed for a better relationship with his oldest son. "I would wish desperately that my relationship with Kenny Jr. were better," said the singer. Rogers pledged to be a better father to his third son, Chris, born from his fourth marriage. Chris is a director and actor. His credits include Park, Loneliness, Reno 911, and Two If By Sea.
Rogers' youngest kids, twins Jordan and Justin, were born in 2004, which makes them only 18 years old. Kenny didn't want children by the time he married for the fifth time. The singer, however, changed his mind upon realizing that it was unfair to Wanda, who was significantly younger than him. Rogers, who was nearing his career's end by the time his twin sons arrived in the world, played a doting father to them. "I'm determined to stay home with the boys, and it’s really a wonderful gift for me," said Rogers, who died in 2020.
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