# Somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler, he broke even (RIP Kenny Rogers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [March 21, 2020, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945 "2020-03-21T06:52:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/1 "2020-03-21T06:52:29Z")
It’s a little buried in the news right now because of everything going on right now, but it’s come out tonight that [Kenny Rogers is dead of natural causes at age 81.](https://variety.com/2020/music/obituaries-people-news/kenny-rogers-dead-dies-1203541233/) I can’t say I was ever a huge fan of his, but he was definitely a great songwriter who managed to succeed in multiple genres and the music world is better for having had him in it. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/2 "2020-03-21T07:17:31Z")
His music was everywhere during that country and pop crossover, my dad must have listened to thousands of hours, usually accompanied by a strong drink. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/3 "2020-03-21T07:51:40Z")
I never really realized the impact the guy had until a few years ago. I didn’t know he had like a series of movies and all that. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOldKJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GoodOldKJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOldKJ)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/4 "2020-03-21T10:09:41Z")
Very sad night for old KJ. I grew up on his music. List another hero tonight ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/5 "2020-03-21T10:33:29Z")
I enjoyed his music for a long spell. May he RIP. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/6 "2020-03-21T11:01:46Z")
Yep, looks like the dealin’s done. ☹ RIP, Kenny. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/7 "2020-03-21T13:17:39Z")
I just dropped in to see what condition his condition was in. Not good, apparently… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/8 "2020-03-21T14:06:47Z")
Kenny Rogers entertained a lot of people for over 50 years. He started in Rock with Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. He wisely switched to country for even bigger success. It seemed like he always came up with hits every few years. He toured with Dolly Parton for a few years. It was quite a career. RIP Kenny ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/9 "2020-03-21T14:33:06Z")
My very first tape (Christmas gift given with a tape recorder) was a Kenny Rogers greatest hits collection. _sigh_ I seems like these days country music is much more loud and crude, so I don’t listen to it as much. I might get some Kenny Rogers playing on the YouTube while I work on Shutdown Spring Cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/10 "2020-03-21T14:37:24Z")
I miss his roasted chicken. Better than Boston Market. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/11 "2020-03-21T16:14:02Z")
I’m a fan, and sorry to hear this. He picked a fine time to leave. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/12 "2020-03-21T16:18:15Z")
Read elsewhere on the internet… _Somewhere Keith Richards is texting. “Hey, Mick, guess who I outlived TODAY?”_ ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/13 "2020-03-21T16:21:31Z")
He finally went to his island in the stream. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/14 "2020-03-21T16:36:03Z")
I didn’t like that old bastard anyway. He drank down my last swallow of whiskey. RIP. Gambler. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/15 "2020-03-21T16:48:30Z")
Sorry to hear this. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/16 "2020-03-21T18:28:47Z")
You gotta know when to fold 'em. RIP KR. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/17 "2020-03-21T20:16:45Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Read elsewhere on the internet… > > _Somewhere Keith Richards is texting. “Hey, Mick, guess who I outlived TODAY?”_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/18 "2020-03-21T20:39:04Z")
I liked his videogame advice: "If you’re going to play the Gameboy, you’ve gotta learn to play it right. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/19 "2020-03-22T01:59:32Z")
He didn’t write many songs, and none of the ones he’s best known for, but he sure could pick ‘em and make them his own ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945/20 "2020-03-22T16:07:22Z")
Y’all recall his first hit, right? I JUST DROPPED IN TO SEE WHAT CONDITION MY CONDITION WAS IN. Yeah, yeah, oh-ah yeah. That’s okay. Much of his stuff was okay. But then there’s RUBY DON’T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN, a song of nearly unbearable pain - and he sang it live as a singalong party song. Sad. Kum-by-yah, Kenny. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somewhere-in-the-darkness-the-gambler-he-broke-even-rip-kenny-rogers/849945.md?page=2)