Who Are The Mothers Of Kenny Rogers' 5 Kids?

Kenny Rogers passed away at the age of 81 on March 20, 2020. Along with a legacy of musical excellence, Rogers left behind five children: Kenny Rogers Jr., Christopher Rogers, twins Justin Rogers and Jordan Rogers, and Carole Lynne Rogers. "The Gambler" singer had children throughout his life after his first marriage in 1958. Although he was married five times, Rogers didn't have children with all of his wives. His children vary greatly in age — his oldest, Carole Lynne, was born in 1958, while his youngest, Justin and Jordan, joined the family a whopping 46 years later in 2004. 

Keeping up with five children can definitely be challenging, especially with such a demanding career. The country star unfortunately wasn't equally close with each of his children and even voiced some regrets about it. In a People cover story from 1980, Rogers revealed that he only had two hours of visitation time with his daughter, Carole Lynne. The two eventually became estranged, and she wouldn't be the only one with a strained relationship with her father. In 1982, Rogers told People, "As you try to get ahead, it's too easy to think that these kids are still going to be kids tomorrow and that once you get your current project done, you'll spend some time with them." While he couldn't be there for every moment of his children's lives, Rogers' ex-wives were.

At 19 years old, Kenny Rogers married Janice Gordon after she fell pregnant with his first child, Carole Lynne. The two tied the knot in 1958 as Rogers worked hard at his budding music career. They were only married for two years. In his memoir "Luck or Something Like It," he wrote, "When my Janice got pregnant, I was fully prepared to take the step into married life. It never occurred to me to walk away from the responsibility."

Unfortunately, Rogers' first marriage proved to be doomed from the start. As Rogers' career began to develop into something bigger, he spent less and less time with his daughter. Gordon later remarried, and Carole was then adopted into their family by Gordon's new husband. Rogers discussed this time in his life with Fox News in 2012. "He [Gordon's second husband] stepped in at a time that was really awkward for all of us, and he became her dad, and I love him for that," Rogers recalled. "He was a good guy." Rogers also admitted that he really loved Gordon, but certain circumstances kept them apart. "That was a thing where her parents thought I'd ruined her life and were determined to break me. It didn't work, and it's really sad because I think it could have worked," he said.

Margo Anderson was Kenny Rogers' third wife. The couple married in 1963 after Rogers finalized his divorce from his second wife (with whom he had no children), Jean. During that time, they had a son, Kenny Jr., born in 1964. According to the Caller Times, Anderson convinced Rogers to sing at her high school reunion in 1966, when his career was still on the rise. Most of Anderson's classmates from her Corpus Christi, Texas, school reportedly weren't all that impressed by his performance. However, he made a vow to Anderson: Someday they would be willing to fork over their hard-earned money to watch him sing. Two years later, he and his band The First Edition released the hit song "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)."

While he and Anderson were together for some time, it seems that their relationship was a bit tumultuous, Rogers noted this in his memoir. Looking back at their marriage, he wrote in "Luck or Something Like It," "I don't ever like to blame someone else, but in this case, [the fights] were all her fault." He further claimed, "She loved to regurgitate problems, things that happened from years before."

After their divorce in 1975, Rogers barely saw Kenny Jr. because Anderson relocated to Palm Springs, California, with their son. Rogers told People in 1980, "I would wish desperately that my relationship with Kenny Jr. were better." While Rogers never got entirely close with his son, Kenny Jr. was still able to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He now works as an actor and composer.

In 1977, Kenny Rogers married actor Marianne Gordon. Gordon was known for her work in "Rosemary's Baby," "Little Darlings," and the country music variety show "Hee Haw." Gordon and Rogers met when he was a guest on the show, and Gordon later appeared alongside Rogers in his 1980 TV movie "The Gambler." The two stayed married until 1993. Before welcoming their son, Christopher, Gordon joined Rogers while he was on tour. However, things changed once Christopher came into their lives.

Christopher was born with hyaline membrane disease, a respiratory disorder. He was able to survive the sometimes deadly disease, but it came with a price for both Rogers and Gordon. Gordon stopped joining Rogers on tour so she could stay home with Christopher. They made it work for some time, but eventually it became clear that the couple was living two very different lives. Gordon received a massive $60 million settlement in one of Hollywood's costliest divorces in 1993. "But Marianne really did deserve the 60 million because she is a great girl and we had a perfect marriage for 15 years," Rogers told the Irish Independent.

Kenny Rogers met Wanda Miller while she was working as a hostess at a restaurant in Atlanta. Coincidentally, Rogers was on a blind date with another woman at the time, but later called the restaurant seeking Miller's number. While it was difficult for Miller to believe at first, Rogers was head over heels for her. The two had a 28-year age gap, but that didn't stop them from getting married in 1997. They remained married for about 22 years until Rogers passed away in 2020.

During their marriage, Miller gave birth to twin boys, Justin and Jordan. "I miss his love, his support. I miss his touch. I miss everything about him," she said in an interview with People. "I wish we could have that one last conversation just to say, 'Are you good? Are you OK?'" In the wake of his death, Miller compiled Rogers' archived works into an album, "Life Is Like a Song." "I want to make sure his legacy grows and stays alive. ... I think Kenny would be beyond happy and proud of the album," she told People.