3/28/11 GRAMMY MUSEUM DIALOGUE with KENNY ROGERS.[sorry, no pics or vids allowed as usual @ grammy museum] ...[partial verbatim..partial fill in blanks..not perfect] .Scott goldman moderating..opened w/ video clip from movie gambler....mentions other grammy events ..troubadors..preserv hall band...henry butler..cleveland confidential..kenny chesney..sold out..]
[Intro to Kenny Rogers]..mike dungan..lady..brent maher..dolly parton..mike curb....gerry house..david foster..islands in the stream..greatest duet..heard just dropped in..what condition my condition was in.s..I believ in music ..love ..beatles..100 dates..still..enjoy I more..I'm like a boomerang...u can throw me away but I keep coming back.....doo wap..hi sch..scholars..we were c students..chuck berry..crazy feeling ..american bandstand..claim to fame..dick clark doesn't remember me...ed townsend..ate fake hot fudge..me a kid fr houston..just changed name..can't call self kenneth ray..guy named larry king [not cnn's larry king] ..he introduced me as kenny rogers..kids loved it & it stuck...u played bass in jazz trio..asked me to play..cocktail job..jazz group..tony bennet across st @ shamrock hotel..learned music from 30s & 40s..kerbie stone..never been to canada..cold..had on t-shirt....landed mercury contract..solo deal..gettin sense of direction?.. have to audition..on phone..hotel lobby..people walkin by..then w. Christy?...folk music..special time.. I haven't been driven..just lucky..follow people..when hear rewards recited..I don't take it seriously..kept them in cardboard boxes..didn't want shrine..wife said u should..so I did..put mirror behind..looked double..
Ed sullivan..thelma camacho..he lovs her..he's losin It ken thought ....he says "welcm thelma & her boys"..now big hits under belt..jimmy bowen..frank sinatra..said "people don't relate to groups..they relate to people.." he chose me..bothered me..once one gets leg up..count days..but we lasted 8 years ..impressed what I've been able to do with so little talent..guy once told me I have a bad throat..said I'm not changing...made me a lot of money..
Coward of county..bizarre song..its abt a rape..we save becky...ruby about guy abt to shoot his wife. They key is to sing depressing songs in an upbeat tone..[laughter]
Music being best memory creator ? U said..remember songs most attached..songs I heard when I was a kid..my mom worst singer..I would move away from her in church..dad played fiddle..back of pickup..like deliverance..period in 70's..hook w butler..string of hits..remarkable..found line btw country & pop..not many found before..took heat fr country industry..not traditional country..
I've had a lot of influences..but I think I brought new peopl to country...not everybodys roots are hank williams..some are alabama..u went on tour dottie west ..dolly parton..I was first to work arenas..in the round..more front row seats
Houston astrodome....had more fans than elvis...now 20,000 30,000 ..in elem school I had a crush on colleen maze..was sure she would marry me,,,she just didn't know it yet....I see her & say, "hey colleen u remember me?" she "kind of" remembers me..ha ha..
Persons influential? First concert I saw was ray charles..girlfriend's mom came w/ us..people laughed.I thought cool..age 12..made decision..that's what I want to be
Country is white man's rhythym & blues..that's why I started working w/ Lionel richie..he wrote "lady" for me..flew him over..working at riviera in vegas.. lionel can't work w/o tremendous pressure..I'm on first verse he's on 2nd verse in bathroom..
In collaborations people sing better..like 100 yd dash..when somebody runs faster..u run faster too..first duet ? Dottie west..she cooked breaksfst..start w song not partner..
Re the gambler..5 made for tv..all the big singers did movies..sinatra ...randolph scott..country club....did a show last night..private place where wealthy go to die..billionaires..I give 10 doll bills for every song they know...and they're scooping up the 10's...
50 years..still 100 dates per year..I got 6 yo..twins..they take apart my bus..new ...record "love of god"..I'm not relig but spiritual..8 kids in family..we went to church 3x week..mom said.."can't be any more spiritual as an adult than u experience as a kid" [not sure I got the quote right...but had to do with the importance of childhood impressions later in life,,and church being one of them]
I picked songs people would Recognize [for new gospel album]..my philosophy...more encouraged to buy..didn't want just old songs..mike mcdonald...vince gill..guy named michael w. Smith [funny how he mentioned michael w. Smith as if nobody would know him..but lots of people do, not just christians] .. also the whites....mentions point of grace ..dove awards [coming up..he's going to be singing with point of grace?]
Book called passages..re crisis moments..life never same afterwards....ed sullivan..smothers brothers..tommy partly dscovrd us.. we had a tv show in canada..3 years..tom jones show in london at same time..
Artists u want to collab with ? Start w/ song..just did duet w. Wynona judd..she can sing it..better than me..
[ another mention of kennie's children..he also has 2 adult sons (at least?)..they were in the audience & waved for all of us to see. Both were middle-aged men..never would have guessed ..realize I don't know kenny's bio very well...]
Re your Passion for photography..3 books..rizolli..fine arts..places seen..they want to do america first..when did this start ? Kerbie stone..fall season..new jersey..reds yellows..wish had pic..he gave me a brownie hawkeye..so beautiful..he introduced me to guy who took marilyn monroe's pic w/ dress up..he said every great photog has a zone..
On shows..always have a camera..autobio..2 sons here..didn't want to do it....questions..I have studio on sunset..learned to wear white..stand out w. Diana ross
Islands..we need dolly..great song..forgot it [he forgot the words]
Mel tillis..ruby..heard..re korean war.roger miller..re guy who wants to kill wife..did it in 20 mins
In studio..r u a perfectionist or allow for happy accidents ?..was on plane w waylon jennings & wife...strtd writlng song re waylon...then it became abt me..took earing..off
First on johnny carson..played guitar..[did he say he can't play anymore b/c of muscle problem?] Re old man in town..my grandfather..wise..couldn't remember words.."youth only happens once..if miss it when you're young..catch it when you're old"..[applause, good line]
[ question from audience about music he listens to now]..I don't listen to music much....this will get me in trouble..I watch fox news..Q..what do for fun ? Now twin boys, 6 yo,..no time for fun..at my age make or break..I think their going to break me..
[Inappropriate question re Sock in pants..]
Stan goldman asks will u do Another gig w/ Dolly? A: she needs to march..always prepared..I'm unprepared..we toured 2 years..never had more fun..
U did a Christmas tour for 28 years. [Still do?] ..better in snow..people will clap to be nice..but laughter is real [except at taped hollywood shows of course] ..so I try to incorp humor..
[End of Q & A...Guy next to me..his name ken..started talking as we walked out..he's a member too..mentioned he got a backstage tour at the grammys with Bob Santelli (didn't say why,,or what the connection was...) ..photo time w/ kenny rogers...group photos ..line went fast..I was on the side...was I even in the pic? they said they were going to post them on the grammy website next week...that's it..going down stairs..ken the elder next to me..said he's coming to another event here in a few days..I myself only come here once or twice a year...came for the elvis class..history of elvis..last year..taught by bob santelli..now he's doing history of hip hop..]
Vander
