Sean C. Morgan
Country music legend Kenny Rogers is retiring, and Sweet Home will be among his final performance venues before he hangs up his mic.
The Oregon Jamboree announced last week that Rogers will bring his “The Gambler’s Last Deal” as a headline act to the 2017 festival, the Jamboree’s 25th, scheduled for Aug. 4-6. Currently, Sweet Home is the final date listed for the tour at Rogers’ website. He joins headliners Jason Aldean and Little Big Town.
“Kenny Rogers is a staple in the country music industry and has been for 40 years,” said Festival Director Robert Shamek. “Kind of the clincher for me, to bring him on board. This is his farewell tour.”
Rogers will be joined on the tour by special guest Linda Davis, who performs duets with him, Shamek said. Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum is her daughter.
“I’ve watched the farewell show,” Shamek said. “It’s really a great show.”
Feedback has all been positive, he said. “The majority of everybody knows who Kenny Rogers is.”
“The Gambler’s Last Deal” features an all-new show that includes a reflective look back through his career, enhanced with personal stories, vintage photos and video clips, including never-before-seen footage. It touches on every part of Rogers’ career and includes songs he hasn’t performed in years.
Rogers has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide in a career that spans nearly six decades. He began recording in the 1950s, crossing over from rock ’n’ roll to country music after leaving The First Edition in 1976.
He has charted a record in each of the last seven decades. He recorded 24 No. 1 hits, 12 No. 1 albums and 23 Top 10 country albums. He is ranked the Recording Industry Association of America’s eighth-best selling male artist of all time.
Achieving pop stardom as well, with 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary Top-10 appearances, he is ranked fourth-best all time among men, trailing only Elton John, Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley.
He has won three Grammy Awards, 11 People’s Choice awards, 19 American Music awards, eight Academy of Country Music awards and six Country Music Association awards.
Rogers performed at the Jamboree in 2001.
The Jamboree also announced national recording artists Chase Rice, Chris Janson and Drake White and the Big Fire for the 2017 lineup.
White appeared at the Jamboree in 2013, Shamek said. “And we really had a great crowd reaction.”
White released his first single, “Simple Life,” that year. He released the singles “It Feels Good” and “Livin’ the Dream” last year. They appear on the album “Spark,” released in August and charting at No. 4 on the Top Country Albums chart, with the current single “Makin’ Me Look Good Again.”
“Buy Me a Boat” became Janson’s first top-five hit last year. Janson, who will appear at the Jamboree for the first time next year, released his first single, “Til a Woman Comes Along” in 2010. He was co-writer on Tim McGraw’s 2012 single “Truck Yeah,” and he wrote the title track to Justin Moore’s album “Off the Beaten Path.” He released his first studio album, “Buy Me a Boat,” a year ago.
Rice also appears at the Jamboree for the first time next year. He was co-writer of the Florida Georgia Line single “Cruise,” and released two singles, “Whisper” and “Everybody We Know Does,” from his upcoming album earlier this year. He released his first full-length album, “Ignite the Night,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. He also finished second on “Survivor: Nicaragua.”
Shamek said that the 2017 festival is shaping up well.
“We’re way above ’16 sales,” he said. “We’re actually really close to 2015. Jason Aldean is really knocking it out of the park for us.”
Last year, sales were down, Shamek said. He partly credits that to the disruption in the Jamboree’s marketing plan following the death of headliner Merle Haggard, who “had a crazy following.”
Shamek is optimistic about Rogers, who has sold out Spirit Mountain.
“In this area, he’s definitely quite popular,” Shamek said.
The Oregon Jamboree is a three-day country music and camping festival owned and operated by the Sweet Home Economic Development Group to raise funds for local economic development efforts. It is produced through the efforts of 700 to 900 volunteers.
For more information, to volunteer or to buy tickets, call the Jamboree office at (541) 367-8800 or visit oregonjamboree.com.