Kenny Rogers Will Perform In Shipshewana On Final World Tour
April 26, 2017 at 6:14 p.m.
Kenny Rogers Will Perform In Shipshewana On Final World Tour
By David [email protected]
In fall 2015, Rogers announced his retirement from touring, with the Shipshewana show part of his final worldwide concert series.
“I think when I get out, I’m going to get out,” Rogers said. “I’m going to quit this year and continue in cities (where I haven’t performed before) and would love to have me. I think I can do this as long as I don’t go back to the same city twice.”
Rogers’ twin 12-year-old boys had some influence on his decision. “I said I thought I would spend all my time (in retirement) with you. They both looked at each other and said, ‘Oh no.’ So that spoke volumes,” Rogers said.
The 78-year-old country legend and pop superstar has sold over 120 million albums worldwide. Over his decades-long musical career, he’s recorded duets with many other artists, including Dolly Parton.
“She’s a sweet, sweet lady,” he said, adding it’s hard to find friends like her in the music business. “We never ask each other to do things we wouldn’t have done for the other one. And we were able to keep our friendship throughout the years.”
Of all the songs he’s recorded and been honored for, he said the duet “Islands in the Stream” with Parton was the biggest for him.
“It was off the wall for me. Barry Gibb produced it, and Dolly and I started our career together,” he said.
Some people have compared Rogers’ musical style to R&B artist Lionel Richie.
“He is a good buddy of mine and I love his style, more than anyone else out there I think,” Rogers said. “He represents what I would like to be, but he’s better at it than I am.”
He said he never got around to recording an R&B album himself. But he has charted a record within each of the last seven decades – 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and 2010s, while sending 24 songs to the No. 1 spot on the charts.
Rogers said there are two ways to compete in the music business. One is to do what everyone else is doing, and the other way is to do something nobody else is doing. That’s what’s happening in country music.
“Everyone is trying to do something no one else is doing and they’re taking (it) away from its roots,” he said. “But, of course, I did that when I came into the business so I can’t have any qualms about it. I think it’s healthy and is bringing in a lot of young people to country music. And everybody knows once you come into country music, you never leave it.”
Rogers said it’s harder today for an emerging artist to get a foothold in the music industry than it was at the start of his career.
“I came at a great time. In my era, if you will, you had to buy an entire album to get the song you like. Nowadays, you just download the song you like and you don’t really get to know the artist as well.”
As for technology’s impact on the music industry – such as streaming – Rogers said, “I think it’s made it easier. It’s changing the style, and I think that’s OK.”
Rogers said his early musical stylings evolved into his current sound.
“I’ve been in jazz for many years. I was with The New Christy Minstrels for a year, First Edition for 10 years. So all of that has changed. Basically, I found what I thought was my calling when I got into country music. I’m a storyteller and I found some wonderful country songs. And that’s kind of where I stayed.”
He said he learned the value of a story song with social significance when he was with the New Christy Minstrels.
“If you look at ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,’ it’s about a Vietnam War veteran that comes back. But there were several other songs that had different stories,” he said, and they all had different social reasons for being done.
Rogers said “We’ve Got Tonight,” the duet he did with Sheena Easton, is his favorite song to perform on tour.
“I’m doing it with Linda Davis. She sings it wonderfully. It’s relatively new, and I think that’s why I like it so much,” he said.
While that song came later in his career, Rogers recalled the first time he heard himself on the radio.
“I was in Houston and I had what was considered a hit record at the time,” he said. “It was a doo-wop record and I was driving along with my sister. She heard it before I did. She said, ‘Isn’t that you?’ I had to listen. ‘I think it is.’
“It was really shocking. We turned it up as loud as it would go,” he said.
For tickets or more information on Rogers’ performance at the Blue Gate, visit its website at www.riegsecker.com/shipshewana/bluegatetheatre/schedule.
In fall 2015, Rogers announced his retirement from touring, with the Shipshewana show part of his final worldwide concert series.
“I think when I get out, I’m going to get out,” Rogers said. “I’m going to quit this year and continue in cities (where I haven’t performed before) and would love to have me. I think I can do this as long as I don’t go back to the same city twice.”
Rogers’ twin 12-year-old boys had some influence on his decision. “I said I thought I would spend all my time (in retirement) with you. They both looked at each other and said, ‘Oh no.’ So that spoke volumes,” Rogers said.
The 78-year-old country legend and pop superstar has sold over 120 million albums worldwide. Over his decades-long musical career, he’s recorded duets with many other artists, including Dolly Parton.
“She’s a sweet, sweet lady,” he said, adding it’s hard to find friends like her in the music business. “We never ask each other to do things we wouldn’t have done for the other one. And we were able to keep our friendship throughout the years.”
Of all the songs he’s recorded and been honored for, he said the duet “Islands in the Stream” with Parton was the biggest for him.
“It was off the wall for me. Barry Gibb produced it, and Dolly and I started our career together,” he said.
Some people have compared Rogers’ musical style to R&B artist Lionel Richie.
“He is a good buddy of mine and I love his style, more than anyone else out there I think,” Rogers said. “He represents what I would like to be, but he’s better at it than I am.”
He said he never got around to recording an R&B album himself. But he has charted a record within each of the last seven decades – 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and 2010s, while sending 24 songs to the No. 1 spot on the charts.
Rogers said there are two ways to compete in the music business. One is to do what everyone else is doing, and the other way is to do something nobody else is doing. That’s what’s happening in country music.
“Everyone is trying to do something no one else is doing and they’re taking (it) away from its roots,” he said. “But, of course, I did that when I came into the business so I can’t have any qualms about it. I think it’s healthy and is bringing in a lot of young people to country music. And everybody knows once you come into country music, you never leave it.”
Rogers said it’s harder today for an emerging artist to get a foothold in the music industry than it was at the start of his career.
“I came at a great time. In my era, if you will, you had to buy an entire album to get the song you like. Nowadays, you just download the song you like and you don’t really get to know the artist as well.”
As for technology’s impact on the music industry – such as streaming – Rogers said, “I think it’s made it easier. It’s changing the style, and I think that’s OK.”
Rogers said his early musical stylings evolved into his current sound.
“I’ve been in jazz for many years. I was with The New Christy Minstrels for a year, First Edition for 10 years. So all of that has changed. Basically, I found what I thought was my calling when I got into country music. I’m a storyteller and I found some wonderful country songs. And that’s kind of where I stayed.”
He said he learned the value of a story song with social significance when he was with the New Christy Minstrels.
“If you look at ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,’ it’s about a Vietnam War veteran that comes back. But there were several other songs that had different stories,” he said, and they all had different social reasons for being done.
Rogers said “We’ve Got Tonight,” the duet he did with Sheena Easton, is his favorite song to perform on tour.
“I’m doing it with Linda Davis. She sings it wonderfully. It’s relatively new, and I think that’s why I like it so much,” he said.
While that song came later in his career, Rogers recalled the first time he heard himself on the radio.
“I was in Houston and I had what was considered a hit record at the time,” he said. “It was a doo-wop record and I was driving along with my sister. She heard it before I did. She said, ‘Isn’t that you?’ I had to listen. ‘I think it is.’
“It was really shocking. We turned it up as loud as it would go,” he said.
For tickets or more information on Rogers’ performance at the Blue Gate, visit its website at www.riegsecker.com/shipshewana/bluegatetheatre/schedule.
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