In a current Geico Insurance TV commercial, Kenny Rogers sits down at a poker table to play cards with his pals - and the country music superstar annoys everyone at the table by absent-mindedly singing his mega-hit "The Gambler" while he ponders his next play.
Rogers studies his cards and croons:
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away and know when to run
When his pals grow weary of him singing the song and taking a long time to play, Rogers, as if unaware of what he is doing, stops singing, looks up from his cards and asks, "What?"
On Sept. 24, television cameras will again be rolling when Rogers and his iconoclastic "The Gambler" are the center of attention. Only this time he probably won't be asking "What?" at all.
Instead of poker-playing buddies, former CBS anchorman Dan Rather - a fellow Texan and a fellow Houstonian - sits down with the Country Music Hall of Famer to talk at length with about the history behind the Grammy Award-winning Song of the Year "The Gambler" and the country star's legendary five-plus decade career. On AXS TV's "The Big Interview" at 8 p.m. EST., the two also discuss Roger's success as a multi-award-winning songwriter/singer and entertainer, his acting career and performing hit duets with such legendary performers as Lionel Ritchie and Dolly Parton.
Filmed on stage at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the one-hour interview also commemorates the opening of the museum's career-spanning exhibit, "Kenny Rogers: Through The Years."
Rather questions Rogers about his start in the music industry as a jazz musician and chronicles his path from that auspicious start to becoming a country music icon. Throughout the interview, Rogers provides heartfelt answers about his humble beginnings, his love for a good story in a song and fondly recalls his mother's pearls of wisdom that he still follows today.
Rather covers all major aspects of Rogers' career, from his early days as a singer/bass player with his high school doo-wop quartet The Scholars, the jazz trio the Bobby Doyle Three, folk rock group the New Christy Minstrels and country/rock band the First Edition to what led him to start his solo career.
Rogers' accolades include charting a record in each of the past seven decades, recording 24 No. 1 hits and 12 No. 1 albums, and being one of the highest-selling artists ever, with more than 120 million albums sold worldwide. His 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary Top 10s is fourth-best all time among men, trailing only Elton John, Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley.
His current critically acclaimed album, "You Can't Make Old Friends," became his 22nd Top 10 country album. The title track duet with Dolly Parton has garnered Grammy Award and CMA Award nominations.
Rogers is still performing 100 shows a year in front of live audiences worldwide, packing stadiums and venues with fans who have enjoyed his music for decades. It doesn't look like "The Gambler" will be folding his cards and walking away anytime soon.
