Kenny Rogers receives star on Music City Walk of Fame

SIKESTON -- Country music legend Kenny Rogers received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame on Tuesday, and the next night, he performed a farewell concert before a sold-out crowd at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

At 79 years old, Rogers received the 80th star on the walk of fame located on Nashville's Music Mile. He was presented with the honor by The Oak Ridge Boys.

Inductees are chosen for "their significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song or other industry collaboration."

Kenny Rogers and his wife, Wanda Miller, pose with his star on the Music City Walk of Fame Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn. Rogers received the 80th star on the walk, one day before his farewell concert thatâ€™s scheduled to be held across the street in BridgestoMark Humphrey/AP

With hit records in every decade since the 1950s, Rogers has been a jazz star, a folk singer and one of the most famous country singers. He's also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Rogers is currently on his final worldwide tour: "All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers' Farewell Concert Celebration," which came to Music City on Wednesday night.

The all-star concert was billed as the final time Rogers and Dolly Parton performed together at a public event. Other performers included Lionel Richie, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Wynona Judd, Alison Krauss, The Flaming Lips, Idina Menzel, Jamey Johnson, Elle King and more.

Sikeston residents Tom Nunnelee and Mike Marshall were among those in attendance at both events.

According to Nunnelee, Jason Henke, a member of Rogers' management team, called him in August to tell him about Rogers' final performance in Nashville.

"He said lots of artists will appear on the show and sing with Kenny, and he and Dolly will perform together for the last time," Nunnelee told the Standard Democrat on Thursday.

It was an opportunity, Nunnelee said, he couldn't pass up.

"It was an unbelievable experience," Nunnelee said. "Prior to that, I was invited along with Mike Marshall to have VIP passes to attend the induction of Kenny into the Music City Walk of Fame. We were invited to sit under a tent for the ceremony and afterwards, I had a chance for a little one-on-one talk with Kenny."

Nunnelee said the experience ranked as one of the top five musical events he's ever seen.

"It was a very, very memorable thing for me to be at an event like this and to get some time with him. Kenny was moved to tears at one point," Nunnelee said.

Rogers has sold more than 120 million albums world wide and has charted a record within each of the last seven decades. The first country artist to consistently sell out arenas, Rogers achieved pop superstardom as well -- his 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary Top 10 ranks him fourth-best of all time among men, trailing only Elton John, Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley. Rogers has record 24 No. 1 hits (including The Gambler," "Lady," "Islands in the Stream," "She Believes in Me," "Lucille," and "Through the Years"), 12 No. 1 albums, including his landmark album, The Gambler, with sales in excess of 35 million.

The Country Music Hall of Fame member has received three Grammy Awards, 11 People's Choice Awards, 19 American Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and six Country Music Association Awards, among many other accolades.

He is also a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning photographer (he will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Photography Hall of Fame in November) and has received widespread recognition for his acting roles in movies.

Of course, Rogers is prominent in Sikeston for his role in help developing the Kenny Rogers Children's Center.

In 1977, Rogers was the featured performer at the 25th annual Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. He was so impressed with the Jaycees and what they were doing for the community that he donated an Arabian stallion valued at $25,000 to the Jaycees to benefit the community as they saw fit, according to the Center's website. The Jaycees decided to donate the proceeds to building a new Center and the stallion was ultimately auctioned for $75,000, seed money for more to come.

Rogers teamed up with Dottie West for two benefit concerts in 1978 -- first, A "Dream Come True" theme netting $74,000 and again in 1979 -- A "Dream to Reality" theme netting $72,000.

In April 2001, Rogers returned to Sikeston and performed a greatest hits benefit concert. This event raised more than $75,000. In summer 2009 Rogers returned to town for his fourth benefit concert and teamed up with Sikeston native Neal E. Boyd, winner of "America's Got Talent" contest.

In June 2014, Rogers returned to Sikeston once again to play in a benefit concert which also featured Sikeston native Anna Catherine DeHart, who is currently competing on NBC's "The Voice."

Rogers' farewell tour ends in 2018. Nunnelee said he's heard from Rogers' management that Rogers would like to come back to Sikeston and perform once more.

"Since the rodeo in 1977, we have never paid him or his musicians or for all of his crew or all of his equipment to bring him back to Sikeston. We're the only place in the country that he ever took a liking to and had no family or connection prior to it," Nunnelee said of Rogers.

Over the years, Rogers' gratification for the Center has increased a lot, Nunnelee said, adding he doesn't think Rogers ever thought Center would grow the way it has, expanding to 17,000 square feet and helping thousands of kids receive treatment for not only cerebral palsy but all kinds of needs.

"He's very, very proud of what what our community and area has done to support this Center," Nunnelee said of Rogers. "And we would have never had what we had in Sikeston, Missouri, without having Kenny Rogers' name on that building."