Elvis Articles                                                                'Gambler' Kenny Rogers reminisces about the King of Rock n' Roll

BY M. SCOTT MORRIS


Daily Journal


TUPELO - When Kenny Rogers performs at the Bancorp South Center tonight, he won't sing any Elvis Presley tunes in the King of Rock n' Roll's hometown.


"I wish I could, but my show is pretty well structured," Rogers said during a phone interview.


It makes sense. The man has put out 63 albums and there are plenty of songs - "The Gambler," "Coward of the County," "Lucille" and many others - that fans want to hear him sing.


He also has a new CD, "Water & Bridges," that's charged up the Billboard Country Album sales chart on the strength of the single, "I Can't Unlove You."


So there won't be room for any Elvis songs on his packed play list, but Rogers has a few Elvis stories to share.


"I knew Elvis relatively well," Rogers said. "I can't say we were friends, but we were certainly friendly. I spent some time with him."


During one stretch of time, Rogers' band, The First Edition, performed in the same hotel as Elvis.


"When we would be in the lounge, he would come and listen and stay in the back," Rogers said.


The connections continued even after the day Elvis' music died Aug. 16, 1977.


"I don't know if anyone else has heard this story," Rogers said.


He was on a plane with Ginger Alden, who was Elvis' last girlfriend before he died.


"She said that Elvis' favourite song of all time was a song I wrote called Sweet Music Man.' She said he used to sing it all the time backstage and play with it," Rogers said. "I thought that was very cool."





Contact M. Scott Morris at 678-1589 or scott.morris@djournal.com

 

Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/17/2006 8:00:00 AM, section A , page 1