"And somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler, he broke even" Kenny Rogers dead at 81

[Anti Federalist]

Kenny Rogers, country music icon, dies at 81

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...con-dead-at-81

By Dom Calicchio 21 March 2020

Kenny Rogers, a longtime star of country music, died Friday night, according to a statement posted by his family. He was 81.

Known for such hits as “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Lucille,” Rogers died peacefully at home in Sandy Springs, Ga., of natural causes at 10:25 p.m., the statement said.

Rogers later developed "The Gambler" into a series of television movies in which he starred.

In all, Rogers had 24 No. 1 hits and was the winner of six CMA Awards and three Grammys, the family's statement said.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2013 he received the Country Music Association's Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Variety.

Early in his career, Rogers led the band Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, whose hits included the Mel Tillis-written song, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town."

Born in Houston, Rogers was raised in public housing along with seven siblings. He had his first gold single at age 20 with a song called "That Crazy Feeling."

Prior to The First Edition, Rogers sang with the New Christy Minstrels in the 1960s. After The First Edition disbanded in 1974 he launched his enormously successful solo career.

His duet hit "Islands in The Stream," sung with Dolly Parton, grew from a suggestion by Bee Gees star Barry Gibb, who wrote the song, according to The Associated Press.

Until that point, Rogers hadn't been thrilled with the song. But then Parton joined him in the recording studio.

“From the moment she marched into that room, that song never sounded the same,” Rogers said, according to the AP. “It took on a whole new spirit.”

Last May, Rogers was admitted to a Georgia hospital for dehydration, amid rumors that his overall health was failing.

In 2018, health problems prompted Rogers to call off shows during what was billed as his farewell concert tour.

"Kenny Rogers has been working through a series of health challenges and has been advised to cancel all performances through the end of the year to focus on recuperation," a statement from the singer's management said at the time.

"I didn't want to take forever to retire," Rogers was quoted as saying. "I've thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on 'The Gambler's Last Deal' tour."

[tod evans]

RIP

[sam1952]

RIP, a humorous tribute to true talent..

[euphemia]

RIP

[jkr]

[jkr]

another version, THANKS KENNY!

[oyarde]

another version, THANKS KENNY!

An American Classic . RIP .

[donnay]

RIP

[shakey1]

RIP Kenny.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I looked closely at the lyrics of Lucille for the first time. It appears to be an incident with three people: Lucille, Lucille’s husband, and the narrator (Kenny).

Another meaning hit me within a short while.

I don’t think the story is about three people. I think it’s only the narrator (Kenny) and Lucille.
The man Kenny sees in the mirror is actually himself. He was married to Lucille years ago. He sings that “for a minute I thought I was dead” not because the mountain man husband is going to beat him up, but because his soul is dead inside.

Kenny is ashamed of himself for returning to Lucille. The line “I thought how she'd made him look small” is a third person reference to himself. Lucille’s looks (“she was a beauty”) is partly what makes Kenny want to return. Kenny’s mountainous stature and calloused hands make me think he is a simple, not formally educated farmer; whereas Lucille was an adventurous city girl who didn’t want four kids.

The only line that threw me was Kenny asking her name. It’s not however, inconsistent because there are two Kennys in the bar: the one on the barstool and the one in mirror. The barstool Kenny attempts to forget Lucille’s transgressions to the point where he is amnesiac about her total identity, including her name. Hence, the line “I thought how he looked out of place” fits because Kenny wishes to forget Lucille’s “hurtin'” she put on him.

Kenny rejects Lucille in the motel room and seemingly resolves his conflict. On the other hand, the line “This time your hurtin’ won’t heal” is a recurring line in the story.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I am not sure that is what the songwriters meant, but that's what I got out of it. Here's the lyrics:



In a bar in Toledo across from the depot
On a barstool, she took off her ring
I thought I'd get closer so I walked on over
I sat down and asked her name
When the drinks finally hit her she said "I'm no quitter
But I finally quit livin' on dreams
I'm hungry for laughter and here ever after
I'm after whatever the other life brings"


In the mirror, I saw him and I closely watched him
I thought how he looked out of place
He came to the woman who sat there beside me
He had a strange look on his face
The big hands were calloused, he looked like a mountain
For a minute I thought I was dead
But he started shaking, his big heart was breaking
He turned to the woman and said
"You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille
With four hungry children and a crop in the field
I've had some bad times, lived through some sad times
But this time your hurting won't heal
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille"


After he left us, I ordered more whiskey
I thought how she'd made him look small
From the lights of the barroom
To a rented hotel room
We walked without talking at all
She was a beauty but when she came to me
She must have thought I'd lost my mind
I couldn't hold her 'cause the words that he told her
Kept coming back time after time


"You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille
With four hungry children and a crop in the field
I've had some bad times, lived through some sad times
But this time your hurting won't heal
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille
With four hungry children and a crop in the field
I've had some bad times, lived through some sad times
But this time your hurting won't heal
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille"