Kenny Rogers – The First 50 Years

For fifty years Rogers has been entertaining listeners with his own style of singing, and this collection is a tribute to his longevity in the business.

Duets

Kenny Rogers recorded many duets during his career. With partner Dolly Parton they had a hit with Islands in the Stream. They also recorded New Love and a new song, Tell Me That You Love Me. Sheena Easton joined with Rogers for the hit We’ve Got Tonight. And Kim Carnes and Kenny Rogers recorded the hit song Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer. They also joined together along with James Ingram in What About Me?

Other singing partners through the years were Travis Tritt (If I Were You), Ronnie Milsap (Make No Mistake, She’s Mine), Tim McGraw (Owe Them More Than That), Don Henley (Calling Me), Dottie West (‘Til I Can Make it On My Own, All I Ever Need is You, and Every Time Two Fools Collide), Anne Murray (If Ever I Fall in Love Again),and Gladys Knight (If I Knew Then What I Know Now).

Story Songs

Kenny Rogers made a name for himself with story songs. These are perhaps his best known songs. Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town, Reuben James, Lucille, Coward of the County, and The Gambler are some of his biggest hits and songs that are always connected with Rogers.

Some of his other story songs included in this collection are Sweet Music Man, San Francisco Mabel Joy, Scarlet Fever, Twenty Years Ago, The Factory, Ol’ Red, The Greatest, Harder Cards, and a new recording titled Goodbye. There is also a medley of Abraham Martin and John/Precious Memories.

Love Songs

Love songs make up some of Kenny Rogers’ most memorable songs. She Believes in Me, Love Will Turn You Around, You Decorated My Life, Love the World Away, and Lady are some of his biggest hits.

I Don’t Need You, Crazy, I Prefer the Moonlight, A Love Song, Beautiful (All That You Could Be), The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You), Morning Desire, Through the Years, Buy me a Rose, and the new recording Loving You is a Natural Thing to Do round out the third disc in the collection.

This box set is from Time-Life which is famous for putting together collections of music for all kinds of music lovers. Their Romancing the 70s collection, featuring great love songs of the decade, includes Kenny Rogers’ Lady.

Kenny Rogers’ raspy, easy-going voice has made him a top selling recording artist. His worldwide success in country music is still going strong. Just listening to these songs brings back memories of the past. And he keeps on going and says about this collection from his first 50 years, “And now I’m working on the next fifty years!” As the lyrics from his hit song The Gambler say, “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.” Kenny Rogers undoubtedly feels it’s not time to fold ‘em yet.