NASHVILLE, Tennessee—The late country music star Kenny Rodgers has recorded previously unreleased songs for a new album due out in June.
After a career that spanned the genres of jazz, rock, country and pop, the Grammy-winning balladeer nicknamed “The Gambler” passed away in 2020 at the age of 81. His widow, Wanda Rogers, arranged for the posthumous album “Life is Like a Song” to be released June 2 on UMe.
Recordings made between 2008 and 2011 include original songs and covers such as Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” and “At Last,” made popular by Etta James, which will be on a deluxe version of the disc. The album will also include two previously released songs, her duet with Dolly Parton “Tell Me That You Love Me,” and “Goodbye,” written by Lionel Richie, both released in 2009 but never digitally.
The Country Music Hall of Famer had a prosperous career for some 60 years with hits like “Lucille,” “Lady,” and “Islands in the Stream,” a beloved duet with Parton.
“He used to say that he wanted his songs to be ‘what every man wants to say and every woman wants to hear,'” Wanda Rogers said in a press release. “I think there are a lot of those moments on this album. This is a very special record for me and our family because it really tells the story of our life together, and I feel like his fans will also relate to it in a big way because it leads to the audience through the seasons of life that we all experience in one way or another.
