Kenny Rogers grew up poor living in the projects with his parents and seven siblings in Houston, Texas. At an early age, he developed a passion for music and even performed his doo-wop hit song on Dick Clark’s  American Bandstand. But when his 15 minutes of doo-wop fame fizzled, Rogers dabbled in many other musical genres: Jazz, Folk, and Psychedelic Rock with his popular band, The First Edition. When the band broke up, Rogers went solo, landing squarely in the one genre that made the most of his gritty voice, the genre that told stories and created memorable characters—country. He had his first solo hit with the single, “Lucille,” selling over 5 million copies. His album, The Gambler, went multi-platinum.

In 1980, Rogers stepped out of the recording studio and onto the movie set, when the movie, The Gambler, inspired by the song, was produced. Rogers plays Brady Hawkes, a well-versed gambler who’s traveling to meet his recently discovered young son in need of his help. Along the way, he befriends Billy Montana (Bruce Boxleitner), a professional poker player. Hawkes teaches the somewhat arrogant Montanan a thing or two about gambling and life. The two team up and, on their journey, they right a few wrongs. The success of The Gambler spawned several sequels and a second career for Rogers—as an actor, including Rio Diablo, in which Rogers plays a ruthless bounty hunter who helps a newlywed man save his bride from kidnappers. About his unexpected foray into the movies, Rogers once said, “I am a really versatile, mediocre actor. I’m good at being me in different clothes.”

Read more about Kenny Rogers in Kenny’s Characters and The Legacy of Kenny Rogers.