Kenny Rogers Kenny (1979)

Kenny arrived two years after his last eponymous album Kenny Rogers and those were eventful years for Rogers. During that time, he became a major star, largely due to his version of "The Gambler," a song by Don Schlitz that Kenny turned into his own on his 1978 album of the same name (although it has to be said that Rogers' version bears a startling similarity to Bobby Bare's version released that very year). Kenny was the follow-up to The Gambler and it's clear from how the album glistens and shimmers, Kenny was intended to be a consolidation of his crossover success.

Released in 1979, Kenny Rogers' The Gambler was a pop crossover success, topping Billboard's Country Albums chart at #1 and reaching #12 on the Billboard 200. The album's smash hit ballad, She Believes In Me, topped Billboard's Country and Adult Contemporary Singles charts and peaked at #5 on the Hot 100. The album's title track won two GRAMMY Awards: Best Country Vocal Performance, Male and Best Country Song. The album is five-times Platinum-certified by the RIAA with U.S. sales totaling more than five million copies.