Country Music Throwback: Kenny Rogers' Tearjerker, 'Lucille'

Apr 09, 2020 by apost team

Fans of the late Kenny Rogers have been actively playing his songs in honor of his passing on March 20. One of the more popular ones being Lucille.

Kenny Rogers' song Lucille was a huge international hit. It was released in January 1977 and became Rogers' first major hit as a solo artist after leaving the successful country/rock group The First Edition the previous year.

He said that the story of the song began in the summer of 1958 when he was near Tulsa, Oklahoma to help his uncle cut hay. According to KXRB, the lyrics reflect the voice of a heartbroken man whose wife had left him. His words were, "You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille, with four hungry children and a crop in the field. We had some good times and we had some bad times..." These words haunted Kenny for years and he felt there was a great song in those few lines.

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Rogers, who died just last month on March 20 at the age of 81, has scored No. 1 country album for the first time in 34 years with The Best of Kenny Rogers: Through the Years. The album, which is a collection of Rogers' latest hit, ascended to the uppermost position on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Released in 2018, it has even overshadowed all other country albums among the ranking for the week ending April 4.

According to Meaww, it also debuted at No. 9 on Billboard 200 chart which encompasses all genres, his first top 10 and highest-charting effort on that tally since 1983. This achievement is a potential sign that the classics are getting a lot of digital spins while many fans and artists are staying home to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Many stars have been hit hard by Rogers' death. His music had a great influence on country and pop singers alike. Dolly Parton recently shared a moving post on Instagram about her grief in losing Rogers.

She said: “You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone. I’ve had so many wonderful years and wonderful times with my friend Kenny, but above all the music and the success I loved him as a wonderful man and a true friend.” Rogers died from natural causes.

What do you think of Lucille? Let us know your favorite Kenny Rogers song in the comments and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family especially if they're fans of country music and the late icon.