KENNY ROGERS
Details about the singer’s health crisis and the tough decision he made to cancel his final tour.
It was an emotional night for Kenny Rogers last October when an all-star lineup of performers sang his praises at a Nashville farewell concert. “No, question, I’ll miss the crowds,” Kenny told Closer about retiring from showbiz. But he still had several 2018 tour dates to ease the pain of saying goodbye just yet.
That’s why the country legend, 79, was as upset as anyone when he had to cancel all future concert dates due to “a series of health challenges,” according to an April 4 statement. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on The Gambler’s Last Deal tour. I could never properly thank them for the encouragement and support they’ve given me,” said Kenny, who had no choice but to heed his doctors’ advice to focus on his recovery.
“They recommended he stay home to get his energy back,” Kenny’s band member Chuck Jacobs tells Closer, adding that Kenny was disappointed but trying to keep his spirits up. Adds former band member Warren Hartman, “He was recovering a little slower from a surgical procedure than anticipated. He’s steadily progressing but, due to his age, recovery is [not as fast]. And the tour is demanding.” Though there’s been no confirmation of what surgery Kenny’s had, he battled skin cancer in 2014 and he’s undergone prior knee replacements and rotator-cuff procedures. “I don’t get around as well as I did,” the singer admits.
“I’m going to make a phone call to check up on him and pray for him,” pal Lionel Richie promised Closer at American Idol’s live taping on April 23. “I owe that man my career, and he’s one of my best friends.”
Luckily, Kenny also has a great support team at home. “I’m going to enjoy my time with my wife and kids,” he says of Wanda Miller, his wife of 20 years, and their twin boys, Jordan and Justin, 13. “It’s hard to retire but in my heart, I want to [be] with my family.”
“I’ve had a great life, but it’s time for me to hang it up.” — Kenny