Kenny Rogers's Real Name: Kenneth Donald Rogers

Quick answer: Kenny Rogers's documented full name is Kenneth Donald Rogers. He was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas, and died on March 20, 2020, in Sandy Springs, Georgia, at 81. He was a country and pop singer whose hits included "Lucille" and "The Gambler" (Britannica).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives his name in full as Kenneth Donald Rogers and also lists that form under "also known as." He was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston. The Library of Congress heading is "Rogers, Kenny," with variants including "Rogers, Kenneth Donald" and "Rogers, Kenneth Ray." A Library of Congress note likewise records Kenneth Donald Rogers, born in Houston on August 21, 1938, and mentions Kenneth Ray Rogers as another form found in a published source.

Career highlights

After a year with the New Christy Minstrels, Britannica says, Rogers and several other members left to form the First Edition, later billed as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. The group mixed country, pop, and psychedelic music and had hits including "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," "Reuben James," and "Something's Burning." They also hosted the variety series Rollin' on the River (1971–73), whose guests included Kris Kristofferson.

A Library of Congress note says that when the First Edition disbanded in 1976, Rogers launched his solo career. As a solo artist he became widely known for "Lucille" and "The Gambler," songs that crossed between country and pop audiences in the late 1970s. Britannica notes Grammy Awards in 1977, 1979, and 1988. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame the same year, the encyclopedia says. In 2017 the Library of Congress added "The Gambler" to the National Recording Registry. He began a farewell world tour in 2016; poor health forced him to cut the tour short in April 2018.

Death

Britannica says he died of natural causes on March 20, 2020, in Sandy Springs, Georgia, at 81. A Library of Congress note says he died at home on March 20, 2020; another note associated with the same record lists Colbert, Georgia, which conflicts with Britannica's Sandy Springs.

Name notes for searchers

Kenneth Donald Rogers is the documented full name; he performed and recorded as Kenny Rogers. Kenneth Ray Rogers appears in some Library of Congress citations as an alternate form. The spelling Rogers, not Rodgers, is the standard form of his surname.