2006年VOA标准英语-Kenny Rogers Releases Water and Bridges

By Mary Morningstar
Washington
01 April 2006

 
Kenny Rogers
  
Legendary 1 singer Kenny Rogers has recorded more than 60 albums that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.  He made his first appearance on the charts in 1957, and has charted every decade since.  Kenny Rogers is continuing his streak 2 of success with his new CD, Water And Bridges.

----------------------------------------------

Kenny Rogers returned to Capitol Records last year for the release 3 of his first album in three years, Water And Bridges.  Kenny was originally signed to the label from 1976 to 1983.  During that time, he achieved international hits with songs like "Lucille" and "The Gambler 4."  Kenny says, "Aside from Capitol being the place where I had the majority of my big successes, the fact that I'm again with a label which truly believes that I have a future in contemporary radio is what makes this exciting." 

Kenny collected songs for Water And Bridges from some of the best songwriters in Nashville.  He describes the album this way:

"It's a body of work.  All said and done, I want to be able to do some things that I'm proud of.  I mean, I'm thrilled and proud of my success -- you know, to do more love songs and to do more of this thing, but now some of these songs really have some wonderful social comments to make," he said.

Kenny addresses such topics as the emotional 5 toll 6 of abortion 7 and the importance of a clean environment.  A track called "My Petition 8" tells the story of a young boy's letter to the President.  In it, he asks for help to put an end to everything from world hunger and AIDS to crime and homelessness.

Kenny's past success included many hit duets.  They included collaborations with Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Sheena Easton and Kim Carnes.  For Water And Bridges, he recorded one duet, "Calling Me," which teamed him with the Eagles' Don Henley. 

Despite the changing trends in Country music, Kenny finds ways to keep his style relevant 9 with each album.  During his long career, he's taken 21 songs to the top of Billboard's Country chart.  His most recent was "Buy Me A Rose" in 2000.  It topped the list when he was 61-years-old, making him the oldest singer in the Country chart's history to reach Number One.  Now 67, Kenny tells us what is most important to him at this stage of his life and career.

"I have a friend who's a psychologist," he added.  "We were having dinner one night and I told him that it really bothered me that success was no longer important to me.  He said, 'An interesting thing happens to men as you get older, particularly if you've been successful.  You stop striving 10 for success and you start striving for significance.'  And he said, 'It's a wonderful place to be in your life.'"

The first single from Water And Bridges has become a big hit on Country radio.