This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Saturday, August 22nd in Tampa, witnessing MMA Legends final fight. Chris Cyborg, one of the greatest in history. She's an absolute pioneer in the sport.
Defends her PFL world title. One last time. Unforgettable and got you, Margaret. To an unforgettable career. Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena.
For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter.
Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's getreal about skincancer.com. Indeed, sponsored jobs gets you quality candidates when you need them most. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results.
When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com/slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs.
Whether it's helped with hormone therapy, weight management, or sexual health. Every woman should have access to affordable prescription medication and personalized care that understands the whole woman. Join me, Dr. Doug Lucas, Clinical Lead of Hormone Optimization and Longevity at LifeMD. along with other leading experts on the podcast.
Here's something good on women's health and longevity. To learn more, go to lifeemd.com slash iHeart. This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories. Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame, had this to say about the late Kenny Rogers. He redefined and elevated country music superstardom in every sense.
He blurred traditional genre lines and substantially expanded the core demographics of country music's audience, all by being true to his unique artistic vision. His versatility is astounding. Here's our own Greg Hengler with the story of Kenny Rogers. Kenny Rogers charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topped the country in pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone, and has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was voted the favorite singer of all time in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People magazine.
His favorite hit is probably yours too. The Gambler. He has also acted in a variety of movies and television shows, most notably the title roles in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler. He is also a co-founder of the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. Kenneth Ray Rogers was born in Houston, Texas in 1938.
to Lucille Lois, a nurse's assistant, and Edward Floyd Rogers, a carpenter. I think I got my sense of humor from my father and my sense of values from my mom. And it's a great combination. You know, I always, and I hate this, I always start the conversation by saying my dad was an alcoholic. And a friend of mine who was a marriage counselor said, do you realize that's the first thing you say about your dad?
And one of my real, I think, real sad things about this is that I never really took the time to get to know my father. Why was he an alcoholic? There's usually a reason for that. And it was actually only after having spoken to my brothers and sisters. But I found out what it was, and he was a great guy, an incredible sense of humor.
Despite his poor circumstances, Kenny didn't feel envy towards those with more wealth. The interesting thing is when you're broke and you're looking at the projects, you don't realize you're broke. You think everybody's like that. It's only when you get a little older and you're exposed to wealth. That you realize you don't have it.
So we didn't have much, but my mom. Was a very strong Christian. She went to church. She took us to church three times a week. I mean, God had a good shot at our family.
And my dad had his problems, but we were a happy family. I had four brothers and three sisters and plenty of kids to play with. And I remember when I used to walk to school, I would walk through one of the wealthiest parts of the city. And something that stuck with me that even when I was older still sticks with me, they used to have automatic sprinklers in their yard. And the sprinklers would go off.
And I thought that was so cool. And I kept saying, someday I'm going to have automatic sprinklers. It was this ambition coupled with poverty that drove Kenny. I think that it made me determined to do something But I think there's a fine line between being driven and being selfish. And I think I became selfish, and that's why some of my marriages didn't work.
I was gone six months out of the year. And, you know, you can't keep connected with somebody when you're gone. And someone said, do I regret doing it? I regret the people I hurt on the way up. But if I hadn't done it, I could have been working at McDonald's now.
Kenny first married when he was 19. Money was a struggle, so he took a sales job to make ends meet. But he got fired because all of his focus and time was on making music. My mom told me when I was a kid, find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. And I was determined not to work, I guess.
And to the day she died, she said, that boy never worked. All he ever did was sing.
So I don't think she saw the business side. She saw me doing it because I enjoyed it. But she told me, she said, be happy where you are. Because if you're not happy where you are, you'll never be happy. Kenny's first mainstream success was with his band, The First Edition.
The song Just Dropped In was a hit in 1968 and was also featured in the Cullen Brothers film, The Big Lebowski. I tripped down. I tore mine back. On a jagged sky. I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.
Yes! Yeah! Oh yeah, what condition my condition was in? That song was written by a guy I went to high school with. And he played it for me when I was in the new Christie Minstrels.
And I said, I want to record that. And he said, I can't let you have it because Sammy Davis Jr. has it on hold, which I thought was pretty interesting in itself. But when I went with the first edition, he said, you can do it if you want. And I just always believed, I think great songs make it to radio.
And that's always been my strength is picking music. Every song I've ever recorded, I picked. And there's no question I've had been referenced by other people. But I make the final decision. And they all fall into one of two categories.
One is either ballads that say what every man would like to say and every woman would like to hear. And CV missed. Leaves and me. You look through the she believes in me, you decorated my life by painting. Uh All over my heart You decorated my life Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do So Bye.
You've never let me down You've turned my life The sweetest days I've found. I found with you. Through the And the others are story songs that have social comment. Just dropped in, of course. I'm not sure where that falls.
But if you look at Ruby, Don't Take Your Love the Town, it was about a Vietnam War vet who came back, wanted to kill his wife. Ruby, are you contemplating going out somewhere? A shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down. Yeah. Or Don't take your love to town.
Coward of the county is about a rape.
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek. And Papa, I sure hope you understand.
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man. Everyone considered him the Coward of the County And a lot of people don't know that. They sing along with it and they go, oh my God, that's about a rape. Kenny has experimented with all kinds of musical genres, jazz, blues, and pop, and yet he's known as a country artist. I started out as a kid listening to country music, but once I got into jazz, I met this guy who was blind and played piano by Bedouin, and he wanted to be in his band.
And he said, I'll teach you to play bass. And I said, okay, why? He said, because there's more demand for bad bass players than bad guitar players. But he gave me such an education of music. that it afforded me the opportunity to sing songs that weren't quite so country.
And I had people, you know, they said, I heard something somewhere, and I believe this with all my heart, that people are successful. Because someone believed in them and they didn't want to let that person down. And I think I've had people as I go through my life, Larry Butler for one, that took me into the country music area. I was 40 years old, come out of a rock group, and everybody said it'll never happen. And he said, but I have the right to hire him and I'm going to hire him.
And he believed in me and I didn't want to let him down. Despite being initially rejected by the country community, Kenny found his greatest success in Nashville. He was in his forties. Here's how Kenny dealt with the naysayers who thought that he would fail. I never thought about them.
I mean, I just figured this was my journey and I was going to find a way. You know, they said, you're too pop, you're too old, and you have a beard and you have long hair, and it's not going to happen. I was trying to be something, and I wasn't comfortable. And I knew my time was limited. Anytime you're afraid to play with your image, your time is limited.
I you know, I just switched it up.
So I the next day, I cut my hair, got rid of the glasses, took the earring out of my ear, and I became more real. And you've been listening to our own Greg Hengler and Kenny Rogers himself tell the story. of Kenny Rogers. And what a career, the number of hits. Hundred-plus million albums.
The Gambler, one of America's favorites. But his start in life is humble. Houston in 1938, a father who drank too much, a mother who loved him and dragged him to church. Talked about his own selfishness and how it caused a couple of divorces, but how in the end he was determined to get where he needed to get. When we come back, more of the life of Kenny Rogers here.
on our American stories. Saturday. August 22nd in Tampa, witnessing MMA Legends final fight. Chris Cyborg, one of the greatest in history. She's an absolute pioneer in the sport.
Defends her PFL world title. One last time. Unforgettable and got you! To an unforgettable career. Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena.
For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers or NMSCs including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter.
Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com. Don't just reset your routine. Move it up a whole new grade. Elevate your scoop with Vital Proteins, Collagen Peptides Advanced, featuring collagen plus hyaluronic acid and vitamin C.
It helps support healthy hair, skin, nails, bones, and joints. Adding extra wellness support to your daily routine.
So your upgraded routine supports you right back. Vital Proteins. Stay vital. Visit Vitoproteins.com and get started. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. IceCube's Big Three season has come down to this. The Big Three Championship is coming to Charlotte, who will be crowned the Big Three Season 9 Champion. Plus the Big Three All-Star Game, the biggest names in the game, all on one court one more time. Two games of the most physical, competitive, and non-stop three-on-three action.
The game played the way you love. Watch live Saturday on CBS at 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Pacific, and catch replays Monday on PET. Presented by iHeart.
And we continue with our American stories and the story of Kenny Rogers. Let's return to our own Greg Hengler. Kenny brought new influences into the country world, including RB and Soul. He collaborated with Lionel Ritchie. and he had to convince the country music establishment that this would work commercially.
Well, I just explained to him that country music is the white man's rather than the blues. That's where the pain is. And I said, listen to what Lionel writes. He writes conversations. You want?
Twice. Three times. Who's a lady? And I I love you. If you listen three times a lady and still, it's two people talking.
Thanks. For the time That you've given Than me. The memories. are all in men. Mind, and I said, Why would that not work in country music?
He's just doing RB tracks. Let me do his music. Ray Charles did it. and I said let me do his songs, his lyrics, and put them to country tracks. It's hard to believe, but one of Kenny Rogers' biggest hits first appeared as an extra track on his 1980 Greatest Hits album.
an album that would end up topping the country and pop album charts. and the success of Lady also boosted Lionel Ritchie's career. The writing and production work was Ritchie's first outside the Commodores and foreshadowed his success as a solo act during the nineteen eighties. Kenny Rogers once told an interviewer, The idea was that Lionel would come from RB and I'd come from country. and we'd meet somewhere in pop.
Lady I'm your knife. and shining armor. And I love you. You have made me what I am and And I am you. Lady became the first song of the 1980s to chart on all four Billboard magazine singles charts for Country, Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Top Black Singles.
Here's Kenny from his 2010 TV special, Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years. During the show, Kenny introduced Lady by telling the story of how Lionel Ritchie, who was present in the audience, came to write it for him. I called him from the Riviera here, and I said, Lionel, I'd love for you to come over and write a song for me. And he said, I don't think I have time. Yeah.
I said, well, it's going to be a part of a greatest hits album. It'll sell, I think, a minimum of four or five million records. He says, it's seven o'clock tomorrow night, okay.
So he came in at seven o'clock and we had this little upright rinky dink piano. in the dressing room. And he starts to play, and then he says, Before I do this, I have to tell you, I pitched this to the Commodores and they turned it down, which I thought was an interesting approach to selling a song.
So he sits down and he starts playing, and he goes, Lady. Wait, wait. And the rest of it, la da da da da da da da da da da. All he had was the one word. I said, How could they have turned that word down?
I asked you.
So we go in the studio. Six months later, we're recording. I finished the first verse to the song. And I'm sitting looking at the lyric sheets, and there's not a second verse. And I said, wait a minute, where's Lionel?
I swear to God. He's in the toilet writing the second verse. They said he's at his best under pressure. Sure.
So I am so excited about being here, you know, and uh You're not just a friend of mine, but the song you wrote. was truly a changing point in my career. It's one of the most identifiable songs I've ever done. Kenny went on an incredible role in the 1970s and early 80s with songs like Lucille, You picked a fine time to lead me. Lucy With four eyes.
Hunger children and Cropping the I've had some bad times. Lived through some sad times. Let's try. I'm your Won't hear you picked a fine time to leave me, Lucy. Don't fall in love with a dreamer.
Yeah. Don't fall in love with a dreamer Cause he'll break you every time I put out the light Just hold on before we say goodbye And his most well-known song The Gambler. On a warm summer's evening. On a train bound for nowhere. I met up with a gambler.
We were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns of staring. Out the window at the darkness. The boredom overtook us. And he began to speak. He said, son, I've made a life.
Out of reading people's faces. And knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes So if you don't mind my saying I can see you're out of aces. For a taste of whiskey. I'll give you some advice. Here's how he feels about those songs today.
After all, is he sick of being The gambler guy? You know what? I have this thing about performing. It's not important to me that anybody leaves the show saying he's the best singer I've ever heard, but it's important that everybody leaves saying I enjoyed that. And what's going to make them enjoying it is doing songs they know.
So, I went to see Ray Charles, who was my hero, and he didn't do Georgia on my mind. And I was so angry, so I decided I was never going to do that.
So, I do every hit every night. I mean, who wouldn't want to have something like that? It was a career-making song, and you know, you have to love that. And you, when you perform, you're looking for those kinds of vehicles to go out with. I mean, I have no desire to go out and be truly innovative on stage, and someone says, Wow, I didn't know he could do that.
That doesn't interest me. It's partly because I figured out who I was and from that point on I did songs that fit who I was and what I'm all about and my philosophies in life. Kenny's been married five times. The first three divorces, he says, are 85% his fault. If success had been less important, I could have stayed with any one of them.
It's a different type of drive when you're 20 or 30 or 40 even than when you're 60 or in my case, I'm 70 now. And I'm married. I have identical twin boys that are eight years old. I have a young, beautiful wife, and she knows me. We've been together 20 years.
We've been married 15 years. She knows me better than any woman in my life has ever known me. I couldn't be happier. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hengler. And it was so special to hear Kenny Rogers talk about his life.
By the way, when he's telling that story about Lionel Ritchie, Lionel Ritchie is in the audience and he's just nodding his head to every part of the story. Like, this is true. I did tell him I pitched the Commodores. I did write the verses to the song in the toilet. And I do thrive under pressure.
And my goodness, what a change in both of their lives. It ultimately freed Lionel Ritchie from the Commodores. and took Kenny Rogers to another level. I mean to top four billboard charts separately is a rare, rare achievement by any musical artist. And Rogers could count himself as one of them.
And all because he had a goal. He understood that RB. was actually country music set to different chord structures, to different instruments, but in the end they were still stories of pain and loss and love. and his idea of taking RB and country, and meeting somewhere in the middle called Pop. which was his idea for that song Lady.
is what would end up defining who Kenny Rogers was. The story of Kenny Rogers here on our American Stories. Saturday, August 22nd in Tampa. Witnessing MMA Legends final fight. Chris Cyborg, one of the greatest in history.
She's an absolute pioneer in the sport. Defends her PFL world title. One last time. Unforgettable and got you designable. To an unforgettable career.
Saturday, August 22nd, live from Benchmark International Arena. For tickets, visit pfl.info/slash tampa. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected.
That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com. IceCube's big three season has come down to this. The big three championship is coming to Charlotte, who will be crowned the big three season nine champion.
Plus the big three all-star game, the biggest names in the game, all on one court, one more time. Two games of the most physical, competitive, and non-stop three-on-three action. The game played the way you love. Watch live Saturday on CBS at 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m.
Pacific, and catch replays Monday on BET. Presented by iHeart. A JJ? You never know what the week's going to throw at you. That's why you need to keep your engine ready with Penzoil Platinum.
The full synthetic motor oil that maximizes engine protection. And you can maximize your time too by scheduling a quick oil change at your local Walmart Auto Care Center. They'll get it done while you shop. Ask for Penzoil Platinum and you can receive a $25 virtual prepaid card. Penzo.
Long may we drive. Ends August 31st, 2026. At participating locations only. Terms and restrictions apply. See details at penzoil.com slash claim.
