No one knows the music of the legendary Kenny Rogers better than the musicians who backed him for more than 40 years. They knew that audiences still wanted to hear all the songs that the singer made famous. To honor Rogers and his music, they have put together the show Through the Years as a way of paying tribute to a singular artist and keeping his sound and his songs alive for a new generation. They’re not just sharing the music they played with him for so long, they tell first-hand stories of being on the road with “The Gambler.” They also share the unique perspective they have on Rogers and the songs because they knew him and the music best.
The band presents the songs the way they and Kenny Rogers performed them as they traveled from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Albert Hall and from the Sydney Opera House to the Grand Ole Opry. They’ll play all of the mega-hits you’d expect, like “Lady” and “Lucille” and some favorites that didn’t always make it into the usual tour song list. That makes the show a special retrospective of an amazing career. In addition, there is a special feature, “The Kenny Rogers Speed Round.” Audience members are asked to call out their favorite song that they haven’t heard yet that night. Since the band was with Kenny Rogers for so long, they know them all. They’ll do a portion of the song right then and there. This has become a favorite part of the show because the fans feel as if they’re part of the performance. It also keeps the guys on their toes!
When the musicians decided to set up the Kenny Rogers Band-Through the Years show, they gave serious thought to the person who would be the singer and frontman. Singer/songwriter Don Gatlin has been a serious player in the country music world since the early 1990s, as a performer with Academy of Country Music nominations and as a songwriter with platinum records to his credit. He is also a lifelong Rogers fan who credits Kenny Rogers as his main musical influence as a singer. As a songwriter, Gatlin had two songs recorded on Rogers’ 2007 Greatest Hits album. Kenny Rogers was also a fan of Don Gatlin’s voice, and he asked the singer to join him on the road as the opening act on a UK tour. This led to 66 performances opening for Rogers. After Kenny Rogers retired in 2018, Don Gatlin approached the band with the idea of a “Through the Years” show, something the band was already considering.
The result is a wonderful combination of the music of Kenny Rogers performed by Don Gatlin, a dynamic, engaging frontman who has the audience in the palms of his hand.
You’ve loved Kenny Rogers “Through the Years.” Come hear his music, played by his band and fronted by a powerhouse singer who knew him well. Coming to this show is no gamble at all.
