30 years later I see Kenny Rogers perform again

Kenny Rogers.  Yes, Kenny Rogers.  He is still performing.

I first saw Kenny Rogers perform when I was a wee little lad in the early 80's.  I saw him at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), where he performed 5 times between 1979-1985.

I developed a liking for his music as a child, likely thanks to my parents.  Additionally, it is music that's catchy and can easily be sung along to.

Kenny is 76 years old now, and I honestly have to say he's not the singer he used to be.  He doesn't have the range or the power he used to.  I do have to say though, that all these years later, he is a much better performer.  He knows how to talk to a crowd and how to make them enjoy the show as a whole, not just the music.

I learnt a lot of stuff about Kenny tonight.  He recently had a knee replacement and now prefers to sit for much of the show.  He's 76 and he has identical twin sons (not grandsons)... age 11.  He's a very funny man, the kind of guy I'd like to sit and have a drink with and just listen to him tell stories. 

We saw him perform at Casino Rama in Orillia, where for the first time, I actually did not notice anyone walk out during the show (people always walk out of shows).

As great as he is, and as much as I enjoyed the show, I do have to admit that he should retire.  I say this because there were a few times where he appeared to forget his own lyrics, or perhaps forget where he was (I don't say this jokingly because Alzheimer's and dementia are both very serious).  At one point he began to sing one of my favourite songs, "Coward of the County".  He skipped about 1/3 of the song, ended up jumping backwards in the song and repeated what he had just sung, and then there was a brief period of awkwardness where he just wasn't sure what he was singing.   I would have to guess this has happened before because the band was able to deal with it without skipping a beat.

All disappointment put aside, I did thoroughly enjoy the show.  I'm glad we went tonight because he did actually announce his pending retirement so that he can spend his golden years raising his children.   He also stated something to the effect of not wanting to have to be rolled out onto the stage in a wheelchair.

If you have the chance to go see Kenny Rogers perform, I can easily say you will enjoy the show.  Plus, if you do get the chance you shouldn't pass it up because you may never have it again.  I missed my opportunity to see George Carlin while he was still alive, and I still regret it to this day.

Thanks for reading.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @bigbadbob77