Things We Learned About Kenny Rogers Only After His Death

Country music legend Kenny Rogers enjoyed an impressive career that spanned over half a century before announcing his retirement in 2015. "I really want to be there with my kids and my wife," he told Today of his decision, per The Guardian. "And I have some things on my bucket list." However, he did vow to give fans one last chance to see him live by going on a lengthy farewell tour. Unfortunately, he was forced to cancel the tour's final dates in 2018 due to undisclosed health reasons. While his publicist claimed that he had a good prognosis at the time, the singer continued to struggle with his health and sadly died in March 2020 at age 81.

News of Rogers' passing was met with an outpouring of love from around the globe, including a CMA Awards tribute to Rogers that was too much to handle. However, despite spending much of his life in the spotlight and building such a dedicated fan base, there were some things he managed to keep secret from even his biggest supporters. While we'll likely never discover everything there is to know about Rogers, many surprising revelations have come out since 2020. Here are some of the things we learned about Kenny Rogers only after his death.

Kenny Rogers enjoyed a decades-long career that included 24 No. 1 singles and over 120 million albums sold. However, among his many hits, 1978's "The Gambler," which was written by Don Schlitz in 1976, is argubly his best known. Upon its release, it took the top spot on Billboard's Hot Country Songs music chart and even won Rogers a Grammy. Interestingly, though, he nearly passed on the song as Willie Nelson would later share in a 2020 interview. "Him and I were big pals," the fellow country music legend told Today, per Fox News, revealing, "In fact, he tried to get me to record 'The Gambler.'"

Although he couldn't recall the exact circumstances surrounding their conversation, Nelson did remember Rogers telling him, "I've got this song, I think you should do it." He then proceeded to play him "The Gambler," but Nelson turned it down, even though he liked it. As he explained, he had grown tired of singing the four-minute-long "Red Headed Stranger" and told his friend, "I just don't want to do another long song." Ultimately, that decision proved to work in Rogers' favor as he recorded the track himself and took it to the top of the charts. Asked if he regretted passing on such an iconic tune, Nelson mused, "That was Kenny's song all the way."

Of his many country music friendships, Kenny Rogers shared a particular fondness for Reba McEntire. The pair forged an unshakeable bond in 1991 after McEntire was struck by tragedy when eight members of her team were killed in a plane crash. Not long after that terrible accident, Rogers asked McEntire to take part in his TV movie, "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw," and the invitation couldn't have come at a better time. "Kenny saved my sanity," McEntire told Taste of Country, explaining it gave her the push she needed to move forward.

However, their relationship did hit a rough patch when McEntire secretly recorded her No. 1 1992 single, "Heart Won't Lie" with Vince Gill instead of Rogers, whom she'd initially chosen for the track. "The keys just would not work," McEntire explained on Apple Music's "I Miss ... '90s Country Radio" in 2021, per Taste of Country. Not thinking twice, she recorded the duet with Gill instead, a move she later regretted. "I didn't tell Kenny, which was my mistake," she admitted. 

Rogers clearly thought so, too, because he later called her out on it at the CMA Awards, causing McEntire to apologize profusely. "I hugged his neck, and I told him I was terribly sorry. But I did not do that maliciously," she recalled. Ultimately, he must have accepted the apology because the pair toured Australia together in 1998 and remained friends until his death in 2020.

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' relationship sparked countless dating rumors, but as they repeatedly told fans, they were just friends and avid collaborators. Indeed, the duo recorded several duets together over the years, starting with their 1983 mega hit, "Islands in the Stream." What seemed to be their last collaboration, the title track from Rogers' "You Can't Make Old Friends" album, happened in 2013 and was the perfect ode to their lifelong friendship. "I miss him so much," Parton told People in 2023, noting she couldn't bring herself to sing "You Can't Make Old Friends" without getting emotional. "There's just something about the people that have spent years together," she said of the inspiration behind the song, adding, "We're like brother and sister really."

However, of all the chart-topping hits they worked on, there was one that nearly disappeared altogether. Back in 2009, Parton and Rogers recorded a track called "Tell Me That You Love Me," which showed up on a little-known compilation album and was never added to streaming. In fact, many fans likely didn't even realize the song existed until 2023 when it appeared on Rogers' posthumous record, "Life Is Like a Song." As Taste of Country revealed, the original track had been lost to time, but the rereleased version didn't lack much. Calling it "sincere," the outlet praised, "It's as warm as the song that closed their professional relationship 30 years later."

Kenny Rogers' wife, Wanda Miller, may have been his fifth, but their relationship was also his longest-lasting marriage. The pair first met by fluke in 1993 when Rogers went on a blind date at a restaurant where Miller happened to be working. Obviously smitten, he called the establishment to leave her his number, but she nearly didn't reach out. "The bartenders always would play jokes on me," Miller told People, recalling how, when they gave her a note with Rogers' number on it, she initially threw it out. Ultimately, the pair did get together, and they tied the knot in 1997, then welcomed twins Justin and Jordan in 2004.

They would go on to enjoy a happy home life until Rogers' passing in 2020, and, as Miller told People in 2023, it wasn't an easy loss to get over. "I miss everything about him," she shared. That being said, she was dating someone new — all at the behest of her late husband. After Rogers stopped touring in 2018 due to health reasons, he had a heartfelt conversation with his wife. "I'm not going to be here forever. I want you to be happy," he told her, per People. "You're young. I want you to have a full life past me." That included finding love again, which she eventually did. Although Miller didn't reveal her new beau's identity, she did tell the outlet that they met through a friend of Rogers' and that she was happy in the relationship.

Musical talent runs in the Rogers family. Kenny Rogers' older brother, Lelan Rogers, was a record producer and manager, while his nephew, Lelan's son, went on to have a successful recording career of his own. Dann Rogers was just 15 when he wrote "My Merry Go Round" for Johnny Nash, which earned him the praise of John Lennon. Speaking with Fox News in 2022, Dann shared, "I knew at 11 years old that I was going to be a songwriter." However, his family's high standing in the industry was initially more of a curse than a blessing. "When they would compare me to [Kenny Rogers], it just felt so unfair," Dann admitted, although he eventually decided to embrace the connection. "As I grew up, I realized that he was out there opening doors for me," he mused.

Speaking of their relationship, Dann revealed he was extremely close to his famous uncle, who was always very down to earth. Indeed, one of his favorite memories was of Kenny coming over when he was just 5 years old and inviting him to wash his car together. That special bond didn't waver with time, and even as an adult, Dann was in constant communication with Kenny. "If I ever needed to talk to him, he was there," he shared, joking, "I never called him Kenny. I called him 'Uncle Money.'" Opening up about the last time he saw his uncle, Dann recalled a sentimental exchange. "I told him I love him," he recalled. "We took one picture together. And I knew that would be the last picture I would ever take with him. ... It was touching, but it was very beautiful."

Kenny Rogers had five kids, starting with Carole Lynne, born in 1958; Kenny Jr., born in 1964; and Christopher Cody, born in 1981. Over two decades later, he became a dad once more when he and Wanda Miller welcomed twin sons Jordan Edward and Justin Charles in 2004. Rogers was 65 at the time and, as he told People, it wasn't without its challenges. "They say that twins at my age will either make you or break you," he mused, quipping, "I'm leaning towards break."

Even so, he did everything he could to make his young sons a priority. Speaking with People in 2023, Miller praised her late husband for being a hands-on father and revealed how he would spend every Saturday spoiling his boys with trips to Chuck E. Cheese. It was a special tradition the twins would cherish for years to come. "We still go to that location and we sit at the exact same table that we used to," a then-19-year-old Jordan told People in 2023 while brother Justin praised, "He was a really fun dad."

However, Rogers wasn't just there for the lighthearted moments — he also knew how to be present for his kids during tough times. "I used to be bullied a lot," Jordan admitted. "I'd come home crying and my dad would say, 'Just keep being yourself. You're very funny.'" That simple advice was something that stuck with him and made him stronger. "Every day I still live up to that," he revealed.

Male cosmetic surgery isn't often talked about, not even in Hollywood, but Kenny Rogers was candid about his. In fact, Rogers admitted he had regrets about his plastic surgery. Back in 2012, "CBS This Morning" asked why he'd decided to go under the knife, to which he quipped, "I had the money to do it and I had the time off." On a more serious note, the singer explained he was simply feeling self-conscious about aging, but admitted he wasn't happy with the outcome of his eye job.

Following Rogers' death, longtime friend Dolly Parton, who was always open about plastic surgery, revealed she actually poked fun at Rogers' new look. Sitting down on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2023, Parton conceded that Rogers was handsome beforehand and probably didn't need the procedure, but she stood behind his decision while also noting that no amount of research could ever predict the outcome.

As she told Stern, Rogers had the best doctors, but "you don't know how you're going to heal." Even so, that didn't stop her from teasing her friend about the result. In fact, one of the last times they saw each other, Parton cheekily told him, "Kenny, I'm glad I got to live long enough to see you grow into your facelift." Luckily, Rogers took the quip in stride. "He thought that was the funniest thing, but he did!" she laughed. "As he got older, his skin started to loosen, and he looked more natural."