Considered one of the best crossover artists and best-selling musicians of all time, Kenny Rogers was a love warrior — even after five marriages, four divorces, including a $60 million one and five children, he was never tired of love.
Kenny Rogers was admittedly obsessed with women, and that was one of the reasons he became a musician in high school — to get the girls. His obsession, however, wasn’t about getting all the women in the room. The man loved to be in love.
In an interview with the Irish Independent in 2006, Rogers explained he loved the high of being in love, caring about someone, and having someone care about you. Perhaps, it explains why the country singer was married five times.
When he left high school, life brought him his first love. They got married, but it only lasted two years. According to Rogers, her mother “didn’t believe in the marriage” and decided to intervene. His second realization was that he also loved being married.
When he split with his first wife, he married again, almost immediately. The second marriage didn’t last long either — after three years, they both felt it wasn’t the “right thing.”
The third time is a charm, and in his third attempt, Kenny Rogers endured a 12-years relationship, and out of it, they had a son. The Award-winning singer and songwriter blamed his tours for tearing his marriage apart.
Then came Marianne Gordon. The man who loved to be in love, even after a $60 million divorce with Marianne, which he assumed she was worth every penny:
“Marianne really did deserve the 60 million because she is a great girl and we had a perfect marriage for 15 years.”
The couple was married for almost 16 years and lived a happy union during this time. In 2020, when Rogers passed away, Marianne shared with Closer Weekly that her late husband was a very attentive and loving man.
WHEN CHILDREN CHANGE EVERYTHING
During their marriage, the actress explained that Rogers had mid-life crises, but despite the situation, it was a pleasure to live with him, as he was always in a good mood.
Rogers’ third wife supported him in many ways, including his career. Marianne would often tour with the country music icon, but she stopped when their son, Christopher, arrived. He revealed that weighed their marriage:
“In fact, everything was fine until our son Christopher was born – but I wouldn’t want him to take any responsibility for this – because that’s when Marianne stopped touring with me and stayed home to take care of him.”
They ended their marriage in 1993. Their son was 12 at the time, and when his dad broke the news, the boy was confused. Christopher asked his father if he’d still be his daddy even after the divorce, and Rogers comforted his son, saying, “of course.”
Four years later, he wed his fifth time. They tied the knot in 1997 — Rogers and Wanda Miller had twin sons, and they were together until his death.
When Marianne and Rogers had Christopher, the best-selling music artist expressed his feelings of being more present in his son’s life — more than he’d been with his two elderly children from previous marriages, Carole Lynne and Kenny Jr.
Despite his beliefs, what happened years later was just the opposite. Rogers’ career continued to keep him away from his family. The country music singer had to trade time with his beloved ones to build a successful career.
THE CAREER OF ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING MUSICIANS OF ALL TIME
He reaped what he sowed. Kenneth Donald Rogers came from a low-income family in Houston, Texas. He started to pursue a career as a musician right after high school. Rogers founded a rockabilly band named “The Scholars.”
A few changes here and there — from style and rhythm, to instruments and bands — in 1974, Rogers left Kenny Rogers and the First Edition to go solo. A year later, he debuted his first hit, “Love Lifted Me.”
In the next two years, the solo singer reached the country music charts with the hit “Lucille,” which brought him his first Grammy as Best Country Vocal Performance.
Rogers continued to score hit after hit. After “Lucille,” he released the album “The Gambler,” and the title track gave him his second Grammy. Other popular hits were “She Believes in Me,” “Coward of the County,” and “You Decorated My Life.”
In the ’80s, Rogers proved to be a highly talented crossover artist. Despite his meteoric success in country music, he was a pop, country pop, soft rock, country rock, among other subgenres. His talent in multiple music genres landed him various collaborations from Dolly Parton to Lionel Richie.
His career continued to take off, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Rogers received many accolades and broke numerous records.
From being one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with more than 100 million records worldwide, to chart more than 420 hit singles across various genres.
KENNY ROGERS’ FAMILY AND LEGACY
Rogers’ success went beyond the stages and music studios. Notwithstanding his regrets of not spending so much time with his children, he could say he was lucky when it came to his love life.
Marianne and Wanda got along well, and there was a sense of respect among them. He always kept a great relationship with Marianne, even after marrying Wanda:
“Ex-wives can make current wives miserable, but Marianne doesn’t do that. She sees I’m happy and that makes her happy.”
As an adult, Christopher Cody also pursued a career in the entertainment industry. He resembles not only his father’s appearance but also his taste for producing art. Christopher Cody has been working behind the cameras as a director and actor.
On March 20, 2020, Kenny Rogers passed away at the age of 81 from natural causes in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
