How Kenny Rogers Aced ‘The Gambler’
As he recorded Don Schlitz’s song, the country singer found soulful inspiration in Ray Charles and the Old West
It’s rare when the title of a hit song becomes the singer’s nickname, but that’s what happened when Kenny Rogers released “The Gambler” 40 years ago in late 1978.
Written by Don Schlitz, “The Gambler” became a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s country chart for Mr. Rogers and reached No. 16 on the pop chart. Mr. Rogers and Mr. Schlitz both won Grammy Awards for the song.
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