RIP, Kenny Rogers.

So, the other day I filled out a little survey thing on Facebook about music; music that was important to me for various reasons, music I didn’t like, etc. For the question “Bands That Made You Fall In Love With Music”, I typed “The Beatles” and “Elvis” (Presley. Costello came later)...and I almost typed “Kenny Rogers”, but...I chickened out. 

And then today it was announced that he passed away.

Why did I chicken out? Elsewhere IN THE SAME POST I answered “Bands That Are Guilty Pleasures” with “No such thing. Like what you like and be proud.” And yet I decided Kenny Rogers wasn’t cool enough to be an answer for that previous question.

When I was three years old, I LOVED Kenny Rogers. More specifically, I loved the Kenny Rogers and The First Edition album that my parents had. This was his early, slightly more rock and roll oriented material. Some might even say that the song “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” inhabited the sound of 60s psychedelia. Not sure how I ended up hearing it for the first time, but I assume my parents probably put it on and I decided I was a fan. 

“Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” was my other big favorite. I know there were other tracks that I liked at that age but I don’t really remember them. I heard some more of Kenny Rogers’ more country-oriented material within the next year or two, and it was fine (I liked it, too), but not as much as the First Edition stuff. 

He continued to be a hitmaker throughout my childhood. The song “Through The Years” still produces an involuntary emotional response because it was used in the slideshow from my middle school graduation. And “Islands In The Stream” (his duet with icon Dolly Parton) was a huge hit during my elementary school years. I remember hearing it ascend further and further up the top 40 as I listened to Casey Kasem week by week.

Rest in peace, Kenny. Thanks for the music.