Kenny Rogers Cards On The Table
Examining Kenny Rogers鈥� remarkable rise to fame.
Examining the life and career of the artist who 鈥渒nows when to hold 鈥檈m and knows when to fold 鈥檈m鈥�, this documentary chronicles Kenny Rogers鈥� remarkable rise to the top of his game and the golden era of country music he ushered in.
With an exclusive, candid interview from Rogers himself and performance footage gathered on his recent 鈥楾hrough The Years鈥� tour, this honest and eye-opening film provides a backstage pass to a remarkable 50-year career of performing and recording.
Associates and luminaries provide personal insight into how the poor, music-obsessed boy from Houston, Texas went on to become a superstar with over 120 million albums sold worldwide: singer, songwriter and producer Kim Carnes recalls how the New Christie Minstrels folk group 鈥� of which she and Kenny were members in the late 1960s 鈥� was like a 鈥渟chool on the road鈥� that provided them both with a springboard from which to explore other musical ambitions; actor and musician Mickey Jones recounts his time with Kenny in the band The First Edition, whose hit single 鈥楯ust Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)鈥�, made Kenny an unlikely poster boy for the psychedelic generation; while long-time friend Lionel Richie reveals how a trip to the bathroom played a crucial role in the recording session for one of Kenny鈥檚 biggest hits, 鈥楲ady鈥�.
Away from music, the programme reveals how Kenny鈥檚 drive and ambition 鈥� what he describes as his 鈥渋mpulsive-obsessive鈥� nature 鈥� led to success in other fields: according to the renowned photographer John Sexton, the country music legend was determined to master the art of photography (Kenny was recently awarded an honorary Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers Association).
For over half a century, Kenny has kept us entertained with some of the best known and beloved music ever recorded. With a career spanning everything from Jazz to Folk, 60s Psychedelia to Rn鈥橞, perhaps his real legacy lies in the fact that he introduced a pop sensibility to Country Music that was trailblazing.
