With all the music artists around the world today, there are still only a select number you can name and most people will know who they are. One such artist, who I refer to as a country music legend, is Kenny Rogers.
Let me give you quick list of some of his accomplishments:
*Kenny Rogers has sold more than 120 million albums around the world.
*Has had a record place in the charts every decade over the last 7 decades.
*24 #1 songs
*In the Top 10 Best Selling Male Artists of All Time.
*3 Grammy Awards, 19 American Music Awards, 11 People’s Choice Awards, 8 Academy of Country Music Awards, 6 Country Music Association Awards to include a Lifetime Achievement Award.
*Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee.
On top of those, he’s also an accomplished actor, photographer and published author.
So as I was saying, Kenny Rogers is almost always an instantly recognized name. So you can imagine the sadness that came last year with the announcement of his final tour, the All in for the Gambler Tour. We all knew the day would come one day, but still a sad day to see arrive. Many of us grew up listening to Kenny Rogers, his hits have spanned over many decades and his collaborations with many other country artists is wide and far reaching. So how do you say goodbye to someone like him? You go to his show, you sing along, you enjoy his story telling and shed a few tears.
Kenny Rogers brought his All in for the Gambler Tour to the Tulalip Resort Casino, just north of Seattle, WA on August 5th. The sold out event was held in the outdoor Tulalip Amphitheater and was his last tour date in the Western United States. This was a very special night for many fans. As I arrived to pick up my credentials to cover the show there were fans waiting in line at the ticket window in hopes that a few last minute tickets would open up. For a few lucky fans, they managed to get a pair of tickets, but just a few fans and the rest simply stood outside to listen to Kenny perform his last show. It did not matter to them if they could not see him perform, they were happy to just listen along. They understood this would be the last time to hear him live.
Kenny’s show was packed full of wonderful stories that spanned across his amazing career. Some stories about life, some about the songs he wrote. Many laughs were to be had as Kenny recalled funny instances in his career and joked about with fellow musicians on the stage with him. Along on this tour Kenny Rogers had a special surprise for the fans, the amazing vocalist Linda Davis joined the performance, not as a supporting artist, but as a co-performer singing along with Kenny through out the show. She added the sparkles to the show with many wardrobe changes and her infectious smile. Kenny’s performance included songs throughout his entire career, from old school doo-wop music to all the country classics and fan favorites. Fans young and old could be seen singing along and as each new song began you could hear the approval from the fans through their loud cheers.
By the end of the evening, most fans had shed a few tears as they realized that it would be their last chance to catch Kenny Rogers on tour locally and that he only has a few remaining shows before they will not be able to catch another show as he retires from performing and touring. A very surreal and sad realization.
If you’d like to catch one of Kenny’s last shows, the very few remaining or his finale check out his tour dates. There is a good chance many of the remaining shows are sold out, but still try, it’s a show you want to see! Kenny Rogers last performance and finale show is scheduled for October 25th in Nashville at the Bridgestone Arena. It’s going to be a star-studded event for a well deserving country music legend!
And Kenny Rogers, should you read my final thoughts here I would personally like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart! You’ve enriched my life with your music for many years and have left time stamped memories I shared with my father growing up that I still laugh about and cry about since his passing. Those memories mean the world to me. Thank you sir, for your contribution and blazing path through country music. You will always be a legend to me!
Setlist:
Oh Lady Luck
Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town (Johnny Darrell cover)
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home (Broadway Syncopators cover)
It’s Only a Paper Moon (Harold Arlen cover)
Through the Years / You Decorated My Life / She Believes In Me / Ruby
Something’s Burning
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (Mickey Newbury cover)
But You Know I Love You (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition song)
Tell It All Brother
We Are the World (U.S.A. for Africa cover)
Love Lifted Me
Lucille
Every Time Two Fools Collide
Anyone Who Isn’t Me Tonight
A Lesson in Leavin’ (Dottie West cover)
Coward of the County
Love Will Turn You Around
We’ve Got Tonight (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band cover)
Daytime Friends
The Gambler (Don Schlitz cover)
Lady
Islands in the Stream (Bee Gees cover)
You Can’t Make Old Friends
Blaze of Glory
Review/Photos by: Diane Webb www.Facebook.com/YesterdazeNewsPhotography
