Kenny Rogers at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center (Rapid City, SD) on Dec. 2, 2007. CreditSheila Herman / CC

Kenny Rogers Dead At 81

Tara Clow March 21, 2020 9:35 am Last Updated on February 7, 2026 4:28 pm

Country legend Kenny Rogers has passed away at the age of 81.

His family announced early this morning that he died at home peacefully of natural causes and surrounded by family.

Rogers’ career stretched from 1957 to 2017. He was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and sold over 100 million records worldwide.

The Country Music Association is among those sending their condolences, tweeting he “forever left a mark on country music’s history.”

Rogers won dozens of awards for his music, including a Grammy for his 1978 hit “The Gambler”.

The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family. https://t.co/adxAgiMW2s pic.twitter.com/nggWiiotMT

— Kenny Rogers (@_KennyRogers) March 21, 2020

Author

Tara Clow

Tara Clow is a multi-award-winning news anchor and reporter with more than 30 years of experience at radio stations across Canada. She is a graduate of the Radio and TV Arts program at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Humber College radio broadcasting program. She is based in Moncton and covers stories across Canada. Contact Tara at clow.tara@radioabl.ca.