Kenny Rogers' Ex-Wife Cost Him $60 Million In Their Divorce

Feb 18, 2022 by apost team

Kenny Rogers is remembered as one of the most influential music artists of all time. He was best known for his work as a singer and songwriter, blending multiple genres of music and easily becoming one of the best crossover artists ever. He has sold millions of records worldwide and was also talented as an actor, record producer, and entrepreneur. He also had a love for photography and penned a few books, giving him status as an author, too.

Born on Aug. 21, 1938, Rogers was the fourth of eight children and grew up in Texas. His family struggled financially, and Rogers did what he could to make ends meet. His recording career dates back to the 1950s when Rogers was heavily influenced by rock and roll. However, he leaned more toward crossover country-pop music in the 1970s and 1980s and went on to become a beloved star.

Rogers had a musical partnership with Dolly Parton, releasing several songs together. The pair released their first duet, "Islands in the Stream," in 1983, and it became a renowned hit, reaching the top of the music charts. Rogers and Parton later reunited for a few other songs, including "You Can't Make Old Friends" in 2013.

Although Rogers passed away in March 2020, his legacy still lives on, and many people are still interested in learning more about his past life and career. In his personal life, Rogers was married five times and had five children. His marriage to his fourth wife, Marianne Gordon, resulted in a hefty divorce settlement, totaling $60 million.

It's clear that Rogers is a musical legend who will go down in history as one of the best country-pop crossover artists of all time. His recording career dates back to the 1950s when Rogers first found his iconic sound. He moved away from the teenage rock and roll and psychedelic rock music he once enjoyed performing and instead shifted to country-pop.

However, it wasn't until the late 1970s that Rogers fully embarked on a successful solo career. Up until then, he had been sharing the spotlight alongside other musicians and singers as he strived to find his footing in the industry. Once Rogers did, there was no looking back.

Some of Rogers' hits during this time included "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)," "Coward of the Country," and "Lucille." The singer's music was also featured in a few movie soundtracks.

Once Rogers had fully established himself as a talented solo artist, he began teaming up with other legendary musicians. Some of his hits include a duet with Dottie West called "Every Time Two Fools Collide," a duet with Kim Carnes called "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer," and a duet with Sheena Easton called "We've Got Tonight" – a Bob Seger cover.

However, it was Rogers' teamwork with Parton that really paved the way. The two friends had worked together a few times over the years for songs such as "Islands in the Stream" in 1983 and "You Can't Make Old Friends" in 2013. Parton's unique vocal tone mixed with Rogers' soothing voice made for some great hits that fans still love to this day.

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As the years progressed, Rogers also found innovative ways to incorporate several other sounds from a mix of genres into his own work, including influences from folk, rock, jazz, and of course, pop and country. He went on to sell more than 100 million records across the world, making him one of the most successful and one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Rogers was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 for all of his accomplishments. He also received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It's no surprise that Rogers was respected for his work, and he even received a few awards over the course of his long career. He was nominated for 19 Grammy Awards and took home three of them, including Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Lucille," Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "The Gambler," and Best Country Vocal Performance in the duet category for "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" with Ronnie Milsap.

While it was obvious that Rogers had a clear hold on the music industry, he used his celebrity status to make some fun commercials for a variety of companies and even appeared in a few movies and series. He played a racecar driver in the 1982 movie "Six Pack" and also hosted the historical series "The Real West." Rogers also made a cameo on a 2004 episode of "Reno 911!" and appeared as himself in a GEICO commercial in 2014, with his song "The Gambler" playing in the background.

While there's no denying Rogers' ability as a writer, many people were used to marveling at his talent through his songs. However, Rogers also proved himself as an author, penning a handful of books along the way, including a memoir and a novel. He also had a great passion for photography and released some photo books that highlighted his work called "Kenny Rogers' America" and "Your Friends and Mine."

Rogers' photography received great praise as he managed to tell beautiful stories through his pictures, similar to how he did through his songwriting abilities. According to The Guardian, he even received an honorary degree from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). The singer earned the award back in 2014. At the time, Ralph Romaguera – the PPA president – said, "He's obviously well-known as an entertainer, but he truly is a remarkably talented photographer, too."

As the years went by, Rogers earned more fame and recognition and soon became seen as one of the greats in country music. He showed that music doesn't need to stick to just one genre, and then fusing multiple sounds together can create pure magic. On top of that, Rogers also wrote songs alongside several artists belonging to other genres, such as Lionel Richie.

This was just one of the many reasons why fans were heartbroken when Rogers announced his retirement at the age of 79. Speaking with FOX News back in October 2017, Rogers talked about his reasons behind retiring and stepping aside from music. One of the main causes was that he felt he could no longer put on shows "properly."

Rogers explained:

"Every day is not a holiday. You get out there (and) it's hard, hard work. I can't do it like I used to do it. And I swore that I'd do this until I started embarrassing myself."

He had also previously encountered some health issues in 2017 that included being diagnosed with bladder cancer.

In true Kenny Rogers fashion, the music legend said goodbye to his long career with a final all-star show. According to FOX News, his last concert was held on Oct. 25, 2017, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. It was also the last time he sang with his good friend and duet partner, Parton. Rogers also teamed up with a few other artists, including Idina Menzel, Little Big Town, and Alison Krauss.

Rogers was clear that this was his one and only retirement. "That's always been kind of a rub with me when people retire 10 times," he explained. "I'm going out because I need to go out and I'm going to enjoy my time at home with my wife and kids. I'm going to enjoy every moment of it." 

Rogers added:

"What's really made me happy is that I set out with a concept and it worked, and my concept now is to quit my concept."

Spending time with his family was something that Rogers truly cherished as he had been extremely busy throughout his decades in the spotlight. However, his personal life had a few complications, especially his love life. Rogers was married a total of five times and had five children.

In Hollywood, it's common for celebrities to have fleeting relationships. However, sometimes more paperwork is involved in these breakups as couples who were not destined to be together but got married now find themselves getting divorced. Since many people in the entertainment industry find themselves with an ample amount of fame and fortune, their divorce settlements can oftentimes become pretty expensive.

According to Yahoo Finance, Kacey Musgraves and her ex-husband Ruston Kelly agreed to sell their house and split any revenue following their divorce. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert had signed a prenup prior to their marriage, agreeing to split their shared assets. Following their divorce, Shelton got their Oklahoma ranch while Lambert got their Nashville property. 

After Garth Brooks divorced Sandy Mahl, he allegedly paid her $125 in their settlement, as per Yahoo Finance. Country music legend Reba McEntire married her manager Narvel Blackstock back in 1989 and had one son with him. Although Yahoo Finance reported that the pair divorced amicably, McEntire settled her divorce with Blackstock for a whopping $47.5 million settlement.

Rogers was no stranger to married life – but he was also no stranger to the hardships of divorce. He married his first wife, Janice Gordon, in May 1958. The pair had one child together before divorcing in April 1960. His second marriage took place just a few months later, in October 1960. Rogers wed a woman named Jean, but they divorced just three years later. Moving forward, Rogers took another shot at love and married Margo Anderson in October 1964, and the couple welcomed one child together. They were together for more than a decade before calling it quits in 1976.

Rogers' fourth marriage to Marianne Gordon in 1977 was one of his most publicized and reviewed, as their divorce resulted in plenty of media attention. One of the many reasons was because both parties were involved in the entertainment industry. Rogers was, of course, a musical legend while Marianna was an actress. She was best known for her supporting roles in "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Being." She was also a cast member of "Hee Haw."

Together, Rogers and Marianne had one child. Their marriage lasted for quite some time before their divorce was ultimately finalized in 1993. According to the Irish Independent, Rogers gave $60 million to his fourth wife, Marianne, following their split. He agreed that it was "silly money" that he could have gone toward many other causes, especially as someone who grew up without much financial stability.

Rogers reflected on his past marriages, explaining how his first marriage started off as a friendship and blossomed into something more. He got married again almost immediately afterward but said it was "boring." Fortunately, Rogers then found an "exciting relationship" and had a son with his next wife before the pair split after 12 years. "I was touring a lot and that is part of what killed the marriage," Rogers explained.

Even though Rogers faced hardships with Marianne, he still had kind words to say about the women who managed to get $60 million from him. He said that she had always "stood behind" him during tough times, especially when Rogers had little to no money.

Rogers explained:

"But Marianne really did deserve the $60 million because she is a great girl and we had a perfect marriage for 15 years. In fact, everything was fine until our son Christopher was born – but I wouldn't want him to take any responsibility for this – because that's when Marianne stopped touring with me and stayed home to take care of him, and then when I came home from touring or doing a tennis tournament, I found that our lifestyles were clashing. So one day we just said, 'Life is short, we deserve to be happy, let's find something else to do with our lives,' and the marriage ended."

Although Rogers' son had a tough time accepting his parents' divorce, Rogers reassured his son Christopher that he would still be his dad, even if Marianne remarried, according to the Irish Independent.

Afterward, Rogers went on to marry his fifth wife, Wanda Miller. The pair tied the knot in June 1997 and had twin sons. They were together until Rogers' death in 2020.

During his life, Rogers valued his family – from his parents who raised him to the women he loved along the way, to his own children. He also released a few books, including a photography book and a memoir, dedicated to his loved ones.

Rogers also found grace with aging. Speaking with AARP in 2012, he said:

 "I had a friend who was 92. His motto was, 'Every day I wake up on this side of the grass, I'm a happy guy.' I think getting old is a privilege. We've all had our turn at life – now all we can do is guide others through."

There's no doubt that Kenny Rogers' legacy will continue to live on. What do you think about his multifaceted career and his personal endeavors? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your loved ones.