# Kenny Rogers: singer HA **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 5, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764 "2000-10-05T13:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/1 "2000-10-05T13:52:04Z")
The other day I saw one of those ads for an album you can buy through the mail: Kenny Rogers sings love songs. Very funny. They played some excerpts, like When a Man Loves a Woman. Not very good, Kenny. Unchained Melody (right, like he’s going to improve upon the original). The topper was I WIll ALways Love You. LOL Yep, Kenny Rogers, greater singer than Whitney Houston. I just found it funny, and soon to be on Golden Throats, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/2 "2000-10-05T13:58:16Z")
Couple of things: 1. ANYONE is a greater singer than Whitney Houston, except for Mariah Carey and Celine Dyon; 2. The original of “I will always love you” was by Dolly Parton, who can kick Whitney’s ass anyday of the week. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/3 "2000-10-05T14:00:36Z")
Yes, Dolly’s version was first, but not as heavily promoted. Really, any other songs Kenny can do? How about My Heart WIll Go On? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/4 "2000-10-05T14:03:25Z")
Not love songs, but I always liked “Coward of the County” and “The Gambler.” Not a Kenny Rogers fan, but those two I liked. What? Quit looking at me like that. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/5 "2000-10-05T14:16:36Z")
I have to go spend a couple of hours in the library tonight because I had to come up with an excuse not to take my wife to see him tonight. At the South Carolina State Fair. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/6 "2000-10-05T15:07:05Z")
I saw that ad and almost heaved. His covers are just HORRIBLE! Pack it in, Kenny. The show is long over. Zette ---
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/7 "2000-10-05T15:12:52Z")
I thought I was the only one laughing my ass off at that. I wonder what vices he has to make the cover song album necessary. Imagine all the drugs and hookers he had to have gone through to be that broke. Either that, or he just thinks that he is that good, and his agent didnt have the heart to tell him he sucks. ---
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/8 "2000-10-05T16:52:13Z")
I happen to _like_ Kenny Rogers.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/9 "2000-10-05T17:35:09Z")
“I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.” That line was from the best song that KR ever did. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/10 "2000-10-05T17:37:27Z")
He’s clearly violated the “know when to fold 'em, know when to hold 'em” rule. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/11 "2000-10-05T20:57:58Z")
It can be no worse than “Andy Griffith Sings Gospel.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/12 "2000-10-05T21:29:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > \*\*It can be no worse than “Andy Griffith Sings Gospel.” \*\* Clearly, you’ve forgotten that Jim Nabors also sings. ::shudder:: ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/13 "2000-10-05T21:35:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rysdad \* > \*\*“I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.” > > That line was from the best song that KR ever did. \*\* Was that a Kenny Rogers song? I recall a similar song being used in “The Big Lebowski”, as background for the “Gutterballs” dream sequence. It was almost definitely not Kenny. Growing up around country music as a Kentucky boy will, I absorbed most of Kenny’s songs involuntarily. I’ve been known to break into “Daytime Friends and Nighttime Lovers” occasionally. I agree, though, that he should have been swallowed up by the Earth long ago. I do wish that his chicken places (Kenny Rogers Roasters) hadn’t gone out of business, though–they made damn good chicken. It was too expensive for a fast food place, but I liked it. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/14 "2000-10-05T23:13:15Z")
Fold em Kenny, fold em. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/15 "2000-10-06T00:08:36Z")
Kelli, Actually, I like Kenny Rogers- singing Kenny Rogers songs! His covers are absolutely horrific- trust me. I think “The Gambler” and “Coward of the County” are great songs, but you should have heard him caterwalling (sp?) “Always On My MInd”. Made my skin crawl! Zette ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/16 "2000-10-06T00:47:49Z")
**Rysdad** : > [@](#): > > “I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.” > > That line was from the best song that KR ever did. **DoctorJ** : > [@](#): > > Was that a Kenny Rogers song? I recall a similar song being used in “The Big Lebowski”, as background for the “Gutterballs” dream sequence. It was almost definitely not Kenny. The line quoted by **Rysdad** was very definitely sung by Kenny Rogers: [Just Dropped In](http://summer.com.br/~pfilho/html/lyrics/j/just_dropped_in.txt) > [@](#): > > Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) > Kenny Rogers and The First Edition > Written by Mickey Newbury, who later, among other things wrote “An American Trilogy” and even recorded it before Elvis did. > > Peaked at # 5 in 1968 I am not a fan of KR, but I would have to agree with several other posts that anything he gasped out would sound better than anything warbled by Whitney Houston. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/17 "2000-10-06T01:35:33Z")
download this: wyclef jean - kenny rogers scene you will be amazed. they must have been drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/18 "2000-10-06T01:46:37Z")
Another singer who once was good, but started sucking a looong time ago. He was cool with First Edition singing first psychedelic then country-rock tunes (of course, I was an infant at the time and too young to remember). Its a hoot when classic rock stations play “What Condition My Condition Was In,” and then say its Kenny Rogers. “Love or Something Like It” was good. Same with “The Gambler.” But then he started really sucking. Willie Nelson is an old fart, but he still is doing original stuff. Johnny Cash kept being cool until health problems took him out. Kenny, what happened? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/19 "2000-10-06T02:16:27Z")
> [@](#): > > The line quoted by Rysdad was very definitely sung by Kenny Rogers: > > ``` > Just Dropped In > > ``` Son of a bitch. Learn something new every day. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764/20 "2000-10-06T22:09:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kilgore Trout \* > \*\*download this: > > wyclef jean - kenny rogers scene > > you will be amazed. they must have been drunk. > \*\* I did in fact dload this and I just finished listening. Holy crap. I hate most rap, and I hate most country. Here we have a mix of the worst of both. All I can say is, **Holy Crap**. That was bad. I wish I could mix some colorful metaphor to describe this thing (and by law, since this is the Pit I would have to use the word “felch” a couple times), but whatever meager talent I have towards wordsmithing would fall far far short. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenny-rogers-singer-ha/35764.md?page=2)