March 20, 2025 • 8 mins
Kenny Rogers was awarded the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. I spoke with Kenny by phone hours before he was given the award.It was one of the last times I was able to interview Mr. Rogers who we lost on March 20, 2020. Dive in and remember one of the greatest.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, I'm Bob Pickett. This is Bob Pickett Radio. And
look back at twelve forty eight, forty eight years in Rodeo. Yeah,
hopefully I'll make it to the fifty year mark. I'll
tell you that I've been really having a great time
going back and finding some old interviews. And today happens, well,
the day we're recording this podcast, today happens to be
March the twentieth. We lost Kenny Rodgers five years ago today,
(00:24):
and I found back in my hard drive archives an
interview I did with Kenny Rodgers back in twenty thirteen.
It had to be listening to the interview, it had
to be the day of the CMA Awards when they
were going to salute Kenny Rodgers and give him the
Willie Nelson Achievement Awards, same war that George Strait got
(00:45):
during the past CMA Awards show last year. But anyway,
let's go back in time to November of twenty thirteen
and listen to this interview that I had with a
late great Kenny Rodgers. Hello, Bob, Hey, Kenny, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm doing great things?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
How are you I'm doing great? Now? Of course, it's
definitely been your year, hasn't it?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Boy? It's all they waited for a long time to
give me all this, and then they put it all
together in.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
One week, well in one year. And of course tonight
CMA Awards, You're gonna receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Does that come with an award or a bag? Is
something you want to carry with you? Kenny? You know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I had to call on that one. I'm so excited
about it. Will He's a buddy of mine, and I
think it's it's so nice because the show is particularly good.
I think I'm doing Islands in the Stream with Jennifer Nettles,
who's great.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
And then Darius Rutger's going to sing the Gambler and
Rascal Flats does one of my favorite songs ever. Just
dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.
Oh my god, they're covering the whole gamut?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Now? Will anybody be throwing dollar bills out of the
audience during Tonight's like usually doing concert?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I wish they'd throw me stay on the state. I
need my money back, you know. I would like to
sit down and figure out how much money I've thrown
away in doing that. And how many years I've I
think it's been over twenty years I've been doing it.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, when you think about the frisbees and the tambourines,
no wonder I'm broke.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Hey, let's talk about your new album because it is great.
You can't make old friends, my goodness, and you reteam
with Dolly's just a great CD.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
You know, And there's some songs on there I would
have never listened to before because they're different. You know,
I don't know how much of it you've heard, but
it is. When I was doing this the album, John
Esposita with Warner Brothers called me and asked me to
do this album and I said, you know, I just
want you to know I may not be able to
get played on the radio. And he said, you don't
(02:49):
worry about the radio. You have a knack for picking
great songs. And he said, you go do the ten
best songs you can do and you let me worry
about radio. Well, that takes all the pressure off of
an artist's able to say. You know. We did a song,
a zydako song, and we got Buckwet Zydeco to play
Accordion on it, so it's very cool. There's just some
(03:09):
different things on it.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Very cool. I'm in fact, I downloaded the first day
on iTunes. It was when it was that so oh cool.
So let's see you. You had an album, You've had
two books coming out this you're uh.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
I was just down there for a book.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
So yeah, in fact, I got with you. I met
with you that day. I thought you because I was
trying to get the chicken recipe from me and you
wouldn't give it to me.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
They took that away from me when it went bankrupt.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I understand. Now, Okay, so all this is happening this year.
What have you got planned for twenty fourteen? How are
you going to top it?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
I'm going to rest the whole year. No, it's funny.
I've you know, I hadn't planned all of this, but
it's so cool to do this because you know, you
work hard all your life and you do some things
and it's it's nice to be recognized for it. I'm
so flattered that they've chosen to do this. And twenty fourteen,
we started another year and we'll set some new goals
(04:01):
for ourself. You know, I have a manager that believes
in working me to death. And I said, you know,
you have a way of taking me out of my
comfort zone. And he said, well, if you don't get
out of your comfort zone, you can't grow. I said,
for good. I'm seventy five. I don't need to grow anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, but at least there's another book, right, there's part
two of the autobiography, at least, we hope so, because
the other one was just way too short.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Oh, I know, I told some of the stuff, not
all of it.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Okay, Well, we're ready for a sequel to that, and
of course we're ready for the big award show tonight.
Is Willly gonna help with the person of the war
to you?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Do?
Speaker 1 (04:34):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know I didn't see him at rehearsal, so I
don't know. I think it's something that was named after him.
But I don't think Willy or I either one could
lift this award. It's about three feet tall, and I
mean it looks like something they went in Nascars. I'm
gonna let Jennifer Nettles hold it up.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Let's talk about quickly we can the being inducted in
the Country Music Hall of Fame certainly a special night,
not only for you, but for your family. I know
your boys were there to watch that happen.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And it was so special. I'm so glad. I've said
this before the I'm so glad it didn't happen at
the peak of my career because I don't think I
could have appreciated as much. I had so much going
on then. But now it's cool because my boys are
nine years old. And they sat down there and acted
like they were impressed. And I don't know that they were,
but you know, I told him, I said, promise me.
(05:21):
And what nine year old remembers this, I said, promise me,
when you get older, you'll come back here and visit this.
Because I think every man's goal in life is to
have his sons be proud of him. So that was,
you know, And I said, songs come and go, artists
come and go, and I'm no exception, but the Hall
of Fame is forever. And I said, so I want
(05:41):
you guys to come back down here, and then they
said they would, and then they went and got.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Some popcorn and shared it with you. Hopefully. Right absolutely,
we're talking to the legendary Kenny Rodgers right now. Looking
forward to seeing you on the CMA Ward Show tonight
getting the award and looking forward to seeing you real soon.
You're not going to stop turning anything like that, right, Nah, I.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Can't afford it. I just, first of all, I have
a theory that success is no reason to quit, you know,
and and so I enjoy it. I you have to
have a purpose in your life. What I won't do?
You know In my book if you if you read it,
I said there's a fine line between being driven and
being selfish. And I think when I was younger, I
was selfish. I wanted success so badly that I kind
(06:23):
of abandoned my families for some time. And I just
don't want to do that again. I want to be
able to go out and I take them with me
as often as I can, but I don't want to
be gone that much that they don't know who I
am and they don't know what I'm all about.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Very nice, very well, said thank you. Next time you
come to Austin where you bring the family with you
after all your textan, come on.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, that's too far. I don't think I could take
them for that length of time.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
You know what. I've got two young boys. I understand you.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Know what I'll do. I'll fly them out and I'll
come out on the bus. They're good kids, They're just
they're nine years old. That's self explainatory.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That explains everything right there. Legendary Kenny Rodgers getting the
Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award tonight at the CMA Awards.
Congratulations and again congratulations for being inducted in the Country
Music Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Very special and I appreciate them both. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I can't tell you the emotions I'm going through just
re listening to that interview, which again was done back
in twenty thirteen. When I first got in radio in
seventy seven, Kenny Rodgers was the biggest star in the format.
It seems like we played a Kenny Rodgers song like
every twenty every thirty minutes. I mean, oh yeah. My
(07:36):
dream was always to meet Kenny Rodgers. I've been blessed
enough to visit with him in person and the course
on the phone, and I'm glad I found that an
interview that I could share with you. Right there Kenny Rodgers,
who we lost on this day back in twenty twenty.
And I've got more interviews from the past coming up
Bob Pickett Radio. Hope you're joined the podcast. Drop me
(07:56):
a line, let me know if you have any questions
There past interviews that you'd like to see. Of course,
Bob Picket at iHeartMedia dot com Bob Picket iHeartMedia dot
com and follow me on Instagram at Bob Picket Radio.
Check out my YouTube channel at Bob Picket Radio. It's
Bob Picket Radio and we will see you on the
radio on iHeart classic country stations all over this great US.
(08:19):
More episodes very very soon. Remember keep it Country
Yeah, I'm Bob Pickett. This is Bob Pickett Radio. And
look back at twelve forty eight, forty eight years in Rodeo. Yeah,
hopefully I'll make it to the fifty year mark. I'll
tell you that I've been really having a great time
going back and finding some old interviews. And today happens, well,
the day we're recording this podcast, today happens to be
March the twentieth. We lost Kenny Rodgers five years ago today,
(00:24):
and I found back in my hard drive archives an
interview I did with Kenny Rodgers back in twenty thirteen.
It had to be listening to the interview, it had
to be the day of the CMA Awards when they
were going to salute Kenny Rodgers and give him the
Willie Nelson Achievement Awards, same war that George Strait got
(00:45):
during the past CMA Awards show last year. But anyway,
let's go back in time to November of twenty thirteen
and listen to this interview that I had with a
late great Kenny Rodgers. Hello, Bob, Hey, Kenny, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm doing great things?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
How are you I'm doing great? Now? Of course, it's
definitely been your year, hasn't it?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Boy? It's all they waited for a long time to
give me all this, and then they put it all
together in.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
One week, well in one year. And of course tonight
CMA Awards, You're gonna receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Does that come with an award or a bag? Is
something you want to carry with you? Kenny? You know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I had to call on that one. I'm so excited
about it. Will He's a buddy of mine, and I
think it's it's so nice because the show is particularly good.
I think I'm doing Islands in the Stream with Jennifer Nettles,
who's great.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
And then Darius Rutger's going to sing the Gambler and
Rascal Flats does one of my favorite songs ever. Just
dropped in to see what condition my condition was in.
Oh my god, they're covering the whole gamut?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Now? Will anybody be throwing dollar bills out of the
audience during Tonight's like usually doing concert?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I wish they'd throw me stay on the state. I
need my money back, you know. I would like to
sit down and figure out how much money I've thrown
away in doing that. And how many years I've I
think it's been over twenty years I've been doing it.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, when you think about the frisbees and the tambourines,
no wonder I'm broke.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Hey, let's talk about your new album because it is great.
You can't make old friends, my goodness, and you reteam
with Dolly's just a great CD.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
You know, And there's some songs on there I would
have never listened to before because they're different. You know,
I don't know how much of it you've heard, but
it is. When I was doing this the album, John
Esposita with Warner Brothers called me and asked me to
do this album and I said, you know, I just
want you to know I may not be able to
get played on the radio. And he said, you don't
(02:49):
worry about the radio. You have a knack for picking
great songs. And he said, you go do the ten
best songs you can do and you let me worry
about radio. Well, that takes all the pressure off of
an artist's able to say. You know. We did a song,
a zydako song, and we got Buckwet Zydeco to play
Accordion on it, so it's very cool. There's just some
(03:09):
different things on it.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Very cool. I'm in fact, I downloaded the first day
on iTunes. It was when it was that so oh cool.
So let's see you. You had an album, You've had
two books coming out this you're uh.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
I was just down there for a book.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
So yeah, in fact, I got with you. I met
with you that day. I thought you because I was
trying to get the chicken recipe from me and you
wouldn't give it to me.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
They took that away from me when it went bankrupt.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I understand. Now, Okay, so all this is happening this year.
What have you got planned for twenty fourteen? How are
you going to top it?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
I'm going to rest the whole year. No, it's funny.
I've you know, I hadn't planned all of this, but
it's so cool to do this because you know, you
work hard all your life and you do some things
and it's it's nice to be recognized for it. I'm
so flattered that they've chosen to do this. And twenty fourteen,
we started another year and we'll set some new goals
(04:01):
for ourself. You know, I have a manager that believes
in working me to death. And I said, you know,
you have a way of taking me out of my
comfort zone. And he said, well, if you don't get
out of your comfort zone, you can't grow. I said,
for good. I'm seventy five. I don't need to grow anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, but at least there's another book, right, there's part
two of the autobiography, at least, we hope so, because
the other one was just way too short.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Oh, I know, I told some of the stuff, not
all of it.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Okay, Well, we're ready for a sequel to that, and
of course we're ready for the big award show tonight.
Is Willly gonna help with the person of the war
to you?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Do?
Speaker 1 (04:34):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know I didn't see him at rehearsal, so I
don't know. I think it's something that was named after him.
But I don't think Willy or I either one could
lift this award. It's about three feet tall, and I
mean it looks like something they went in Nascars. I'm
gonna let Jennifer Nettles hold it up.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Let's talk about quickly we can the being inducted in
the Country Music Hall of Fame certainly a special night,
not only for you, but for your family. I know
your boys were there to watch that happen.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And it was so special. I'm so glad. I've said
this before the I'm so glad it didn't happen at
the peak of my career because I don't think I
could have appreciated as much. I had so much going
on then. But now it's cool because my boys are
nine years old. And they sat down there and acted
like they were impressed. And I don't know that they were,
but you know, I told him, I said, promise me.
(05:21):
And what nine year old remembers this, I said, promise me,
when you get older, you'll come back here and visit this.
Because I think every man's goal in life is to
have his sons be proud of him. So that was,
you know, And I said, songs come and go, artists
come and go, and I'm no exception, but the Hall
of Fame is forever. And I said, so I want
(05:41):
you guys to come back down here, and then they
said they would, and then they went and got.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Some popcorn and shared it with you. Hopefully. Right absolutely,
we're talking to the legendary Kenny Rodgers right now. Looking
forward to seeing you on the CMA Ward Show tonight
getting the award and looking forward to seeing you real soon.
You're not going to stop turning anything like that, right, Nah, I.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Can't afford it. I just, first of all, I have
a theory that success is no reason to quit, you know,
and and so I enjoy it. I you have to
have a purpose in your life. What I won't do?
You know In my book if you if you read it,
I said there's a fine line between being driven and
being selfish. And I think when I was younger, I
was selfish. I wanted success so badly that I kind
(06:23):
of abandoned my families for some time. And I just
don't want to do that again. I want to be
able to go out and I take them with me
as often as I can, but I don't want to
be gone that much that they don't know who I
am and they don't know what I'm all about.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Very nice, very well, said thank you. Next time you
come to Austin where you bring the family with you
after all your textan, come on.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, that's too far. I don't think I could take
them for that length of time.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
You know what. I've got two young boys. I understand you.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Know what I'll do. I'll fly them out and I'll
come out on the bus. They're good kids, They're just
they're nine years old. That's self explainatory.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That explains everything right there. Legendary Kenny Rodgers getting the
Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award tonight at the CMA Awards.
Congratulations and again congratulations for being inducted in the Country
Music Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Very special and I appreciate them both. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I can't tell you the emotions I'm going through just
re listening to that interview, which again was done back
in twenty thirteen. When I first got in radio in
seventy seven, Kenny Rodgers was the biggest star in the format.
It seems like we played a Kenny Rodgers song like
every twenty every thirty minutes. I mean, oh yeah. My
(07:36):
dream was always to meet Kenny Rodgers. I've been blessed
enough to visit with him in person and the course
on the phone, and I'm glad I found that an
interview that I could share with you. Right there Kenny Rodgers,
who we lost on this day back in twenty twenty.
And I've got more interviews from the past coming up
Bob Pickett Radio. Hope you're joined the podcast. Drop me
(07:56):
a line, let me know if you have any questions
There past interviews that you'd like to see. Of course,
Bob Picket at iHeartMedia dot com Bob Picket iHeartMedia dot
com and follow me on Instagram at Bob Picket Radio.
Check out my YouTube channel at Bob Picket Radio. It's
Bob Picket Radio and we will see you on the
radio on iHeart classic country stations all over this great US.
(08:19):
More episodes very very soon. Remember keep it Country
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