Homespun beliefs keep Kenny Rogers on the straight road

From humble roots in Texas, to worldwide success from his base in Nashville, the next stop for the legendary Kenny Rogers is Cavan. Possibly most famous for his recording of The Gambler, Kenny is one of few artists who managed to chart a record in each of the last six decades and at the height of his success he was selling more than one million records a month. The Westmeath Independent interviewed the legendary singer in advance of his concert in Cavan Equestrian Centre on March 20. Kenny readily admits to his poor roots, having grown up in an underprivileged part of Houston in Texas, to an alcoholic father. 'When you"re there you don"t know the difference because you think everyone lives like you do,' says a philosophical Kenny, who has won the prestigious Horatio Alger Award for those who have distinguished themselves despite humble beginnings. 'As I got older and went to school I realised there was another group of people out there who had more than I had. I was never jealous of that but I think it gave me a reason to strive to do more with my life.' Instrumental in his success was Kenny"s mother, who was a hugely positive influence in his life and passed on a strong faith to him without being 'overly religious'. He recalls her words of encouragement and the principles she instilled, which he treasures to this day. 'She said, "Son, you can never be anything more as an adult than what"s put into you as a child". We went to church three times a week in my family. She believed that church was the answer for headaches, for everything else. It was a great outlet for my family and I thank her for that because I think she laid a great foundation.' As it happened, while Kenny would go on to enjoy fame and fortune, he was motivated by neither success nor money. These were incidental by-products of following his heart and of taking his mother"s advice to pursue a career he was genuinely passionate about. 'Success has never been what has been my driving force, and it has never been about money - never ever ever,' says Kenny, whose greatest hits CD has sold over 12 million copies in the US and a further 12 million worldwide. 'My Mom told me when I was young, "Find a job you love and you"ll never work a day in your life". When I go to work on stage, it"s not really work. I truly love it so I"m blessed in the sense that I"ve been successful at something I really enjoy.' Ultimately, for Kenny, getting up on stage is about making people feel good, and unlike so many other successful musicians who pander to their own egos once they pass a certain level of popularity, this modest and genuine man values his audience and still - six decades after his first big hit in 1957 - takes quite seriously his job of putting on a good show for them. 'When I look out and see people laughing and smiling, then I know they"re having a good time. When I don"t see that I get insecure because that"s my whole thing. 'I derive my satisfaction from the audience"s satisfaction. It"s my responsibility... People have to go to a lot of trouble to go to one of these concerts, a lot of them have to get babysitters, they have find a way to get there, they have to walk, park, stand in line and do all this stuff. I think the least I can do is do a show that"s entertaining for them and that"s what I try to do.' So, for a man who has come from humble beginnings and conquered the world with apparent ease and warmth, how important is it to perform in Ireland. He loves Ireland and is excited about his latest trip here. He"s been told his ancestry is a mix of Irish and Indian, but he can"t trace it back. 'I just know I feel good when I"m in Ireland so there must be something to it,' he says. A man of many talents, Kenny studied photography under the assistant of one of the world"s most celebrated photographers, Ansel Adams. Kenny has published three photography books, having photographed five US Presidents, numerous celebrities and stunning landscapes. He is also an author, an actor and chairman of Dreamcatcher Entertainment. He is modest, however, about this diverse success, citing opportunity mores than creative talent or genius for his success. In terms of his phenomenal musical success he doesn"t even claim to be a great singer. 'I think a lot of it is that my choice of music has been extremely helpful. I"m a story-teller; I"m not a great singer. I think a good song tells you where you are... It"s like "on a warm summer"s evening on a train bound for nowhere", you know where you are, and then it takes you on a trip and it drops you off at the end, and you feel something when you"ve been dropped off... I"ve never felt I was a particularly good singer but I"ve always felt I had good music and I could pick good songs. If you can make people laugh and have a good time then I think their night has been well spent.' Father to four-and-a-half-year-old identical twin boys, another two sons and a daughter, Kenny is a dedicated family man and admits that he has a particular penchant for romantic songs. Family life is important to him and he believes he and his wife have a responsibility to carry on his mother"s values to the next generation. 'I think that children give your marriage purpose and marriage gives your life purpose... That"s just my opinion, certainly somebody that"s happy going through life alone, good for them.' Far from resting on his extensive laurels, Kenny is already preparing for the concert in Cavan Equestrian Centre on March 20, gearing up to put on a performance of great songs as well as humour. 'The Irish are wonderful people and have great senses of humour. I play on that because I like to do humour in my show. The hardest part, of course, is to figure out what songs the people of Ireland know because not all of the hits I had here were hits there. I have to take a day or two to get it under my wing as to what people know because if you ask ten people you"re going to get ten different answers.' If there"s a song you want the legendary Kenny Rogers to perform at his forthcoming concert in Cavan, now is your chance to request it. Enter the competition on Page 18 and be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets and to meet the legend himself in person.