Singer Kenny Rogers Has Died, Really

[Hardbopjazz]

Singer and bassist Kenny Rogers has past last night at 82.  I can’t seem to find any articles confirming this, but it was mentioned during a gig at Lincoln Center last night and a moment of silence for him, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Heath was observed.  He was on the charts a lot during the 70’s through the 90’s. Two tunes I recall that were played a lot, “She believes in me” and “The gambler.”   

[Gheorghe]

I must admit I heard more about a sax player Kenny Rogers who plays on one of the earlier Lee Morgan albums. 

But I think I remember when I was at School, one of the buddys who was more into pop than jazz had an album of singer Kenny Rogers. I must admit I don´t know very much about other music than jazz, but as much as I remember that Kenny Rogers sounded quite good. 

[JSngry]

He probably just dropped in to see what condition his condition was in and actually found out.

His last words, reportedly screamed with all the remining power he had left, were. "IT WASN'T ME WHO STARTED THAT OLD CRAZY ASIAN WAR!!!".

And then, having picked the finest of times to leave us, he died.

[Justin V]

52 minutes ago, JSngry said:

He probably just dropped in to see what condition his condition was in and actually found out.

His last words, reportedly screamed with all the remining power he had left, were. "IT WASN'T ME WHO STARTED THAT OLD CRAZY ASIAN WAR!!!".

And then, having picked the finest of times to leave us, he died.

Jim, stop posting 'clever' posts on obit threads.  

[JSngry]

So you're saying, know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, correct?

[Hot Ptah]

Is this true? I ask because for years on music boards, back to 2003 as far as I can remember, people have posted that Kenny Rogers died as a sick joke, when in fact he had not died. I am not sure why Kenny Rogers was singled out for this repeated treatment. 

[ghost of miles]

2 minutes ago, Hot Ptah said:

Is this true? I ask because for years on music boards, back to 2003 as far as I can remember, people have posted that Kenny Rogers died as a sick joke, when in fact he had not died. I am not sure why Kenny Rogers was singled out for this repeated treatment. 

Yep, wondering about the veracity of this as well--can't even find a whisper of a rumor on Twitter or elsewhere on social media.  

[JSngry]

That they announced it onstage at Lincoln Center in the same breath as Jimmy Heath & McCoy Tyner seems mondo bizarro to me.

The Internet shows him still alive, and so, it says, is Thelma Camacho. Somebody should ask her. Or Dolly Parton. between the two of them, we should be able to get a straight answer.

[ghost of miles]

Maybe it was a different Kenny Rogers? 

[Rooster_Ties]

Can somebody set up one of these for Kenny then?

http://isabevigodadead.com/
 

There were repeated reports of Abe Vigoda's death from about the the time he was 60, until he actually died at age 94.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abe_Vigoda#Mistaken_reports_of_death

[ghost of miles]

26 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Can somebody set up one of these for Kenny then?

http://isabevigodadead.com/
 

There were repeated reports of Abe Vigoda's death from about the the time he was 60, until he actually died at age 94.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abe_Vigoda#Mistaken_reports_of_death

We need one of those for jazz as well! 

[Hot Ptah]

6 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

We need one of those for jazz as well! 

 

Various cities have banned gatherings of more than 250 people because of the virus. That means that jazz concerts may go on as planned.

[JSngry]

Stop posting 'clever' posts on fake obit threads. We rely on each other.

Ah ha.

[ghost of miles]

24 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Stop posting 'clever' posts on fake obit threads. We rely on each other.

Ah ha.

Have some respect for the fake dead, Jim! 

[JSngry]

What have the fake dead ever done for me?

[Justin V]

31 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Have some respect for the fake dead, Jim! 

It happens often around here that people post inappropriate things when people who aren't jazz-related die.  Just because it may have been a hoax this time doesn't mean that the post wasn't boneheaded and disrespectful.  Imagine if Jim had posted that on a thread about any number of jazz giants who have died recently.  There would have been an uproar.  Because it's Kenny Rogers, he's an acceptable target, I guess.  Then again, when Lawrence Leathers was murdered, Jim 'joked' about domestic violence being the new heroin for jazz musicians.

It's kind of like when Mick Jagger was having heart surgery and Jim said something like, 'The funny thing is he's just going to die eventually.'  Sure, on some cosmic level, it is funny that we just are delaying the inevitable, but you don't say stuff like that.   I didn't see Jim make a similar comment when Brad's wife had heart surgery.  Why not?

Jim could seriously write a fascinating book simply by collecting many of his thought-provoking posts.  I have learned a lot from reading his posts over the years, but he shouldn't be excused for being insensitive.  That people are okay with it is mind-boggling.

 

[JSngry]

27 minutes ago, Justin V said:

Then again, when Lawrence Leathers was murdered, Jim 'joked' about domestic violence being the new heroin for jazz musicians.

That was no joke.

[Rooster_Ties]

Can we please get the thread title changed in some way?

Maybe “Has Kenny Rodgers died?” at least? - so it doesn’t sound so declarative, since there doesn’t seem to be anything corroborating in the news (nothing at all, it seems).

Edited March 12, 2020 by Rooster_Ties

[JSngry]

I'm not ready to change the title yet. After all, it was announced at Lincoln Center, which means it's official.

[JSngry]

On a serious note, is there any chance that it was the saxophonist Kenny Rogers who passed away? I just assumed he was already gone, but maybe not. I think this guy is the same one that played with Lee in the 50s, and if so, RIP>

 

[Rooster_Ties]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

I'm not ready to change the title yet. After all, it was announced at Lincoln Center, which means it's official.

Please change it, Jim.

[ghost of miles]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

On a serious note, is there any chance that it was the saxophonist Kenny Rogers who passed away? I just assumed he was already gone, but maybe not. I think this guy is the same one that played with Lee in the 50s, and if so, RIP>

 

THAT Kenny Rodgers--you're probably right, Jim.  Was there some discussion of him here at some point?  I'm familiar with him only through the Lee date and maybe one other that isn't coming to mind right now.

I think I'm also remembering him from either Loud Minority or Well Water:

Kenny Rodgers music credits

Edited March 12, 2020 by ghost of miles

[jazzbo]

5 hours ago, Hot Ptah said:

 

Various cities have banned gatherings of more than 250 people because of the virus. That means that jazz concerts may go on as planned.

LOL

[felser]

17 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

THAT Kenny Rodgers--you're probably right, Jim.  Was there some discussion of him here at some point?  I'm familiar with him only through the Lee date and maybe one other that isn't coming to mind right now.

I see he has credits for that Morgan album, the Bobo album Jim referenced, and an early 70's Pucho album which looks pretty cool, with a medley of three Curtis Mayfield cuts from Superfly taking up side 1.

 

 

[clifford_thornton]

But that Kenny Rodgers/Rogers is/was a woodwind player, not a singer or bassist.