Kenny Rogers has announced Friday on NBC's "Today" show that he will be hanging up his boots and retiring from music.
"It's sadly happy," said Rogers. His annual Christmas tour kicks off in November and will span across 26 cities mainly on the U.S. east coast and Canada before it comes to an end on Dec. 23, following which Rogers will do one final world tour and then retire.
"I've done this long enough. Sometimes there's a fine line between being driven and being selfish, and I think I crossed that line when I was younger," said Rogers, according to Rolling Stone. "I really want to be there with my kids and my wife. I don't see enough of them. And I have some things on my bucket list."
The 77-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer mentioned earlier in an exclusive interview with HNGN that he is working on two separate books of photography.
"I'm sure I will miss it," he said speaking of his retirement, USA Today reported. "I swore that I would do this until I embarrassed myself. And I'm getting to where I don't walk around well ... my mobility's really driving me crazy." Later in the "Today" segment, Rogers stated that he felt that he owed the fans who've supported him throughout the chance to say goodbye during the world tour, and that he intends to "go out with a flurry."
"Once Again It's Christmas," which released on Friday, features a number of special guests including Alison Krauss, Western Swing supergroup The Time Jumpers and Home Free.
To read HNGN's recent exclusive interview with Kenny Rogers, click HERE.
