Music legend Kenny Rogers, who has died at age 81, in recent years brought his magic to the stages at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center and the Savannah Center.
When he performed at The Sharon in 2017, Rogers was recovering from knee surgery.
“He walked with a slow gait and was feeling some pain. His voice was a bit hoarse and he spent most of the evening sitting on a stool near center stage. One performance crystalized this concert and it was ‘Lucille,’” Villages-News.com Entertainment Writer Tony Violanti reported of the Jan. 20, 2017 concert.
“That song changed my life,” Rogers said, just as he was about to sing. Then, during the opening lines, Rogers had trouble with the lyrics.
That’s when the fans stepped in. As he came to the famous chorus, “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille,” the audience suddenly turned into a choir. Before, long, just about everyone was singing right along with Mr. Rogers.
It was that kind of night, where the past memories and sounds of Rogers’ remarkable career, echoed with love, acceptance and appreciation into the present.
Villagers were thrilled to have the chart-topping artist perform here.
“Everybody ages, but he’s still magic,” fan Dawn Vello said after his 2017 concert. “Nobody stays the same forever. But nobody tells a story in a song like Kenny Rogers. He may be older, but he’s still Kenny Rogers.”
Rogers also performed in 2014 at Savannah Center.
Rogers passed away Friday night at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.
