Facing health issues, Kenny Rogers cancels all performances, including Wilkes-Barre show
From a press release:
After announcing just two weeks ago that Kenny Rogers would bring his Final World Tour: The Gambler’s Last Deal to the F.M. Kirby Center, the Grammy Award-winning country music superstar has canceled all his upcoming performances, including his scheduled Wilkes-Barre stop on Thursday, May 31.
At age 79, Rogers has been “working through a series of health challenges,” according to a press release. “His doctors fully expect the outcome to be great, but they have advised him to cancel all performances through the end of the year to focus on recuperation.”
“I didn’t want to take forever to retire,” Rogers said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on The Gambler’s Last Deal Tour. I could never properly thank them for the encouragement and support they’ve given me throughout my career and the happiness I’ve experienced as a result of that.”
Refunds will be available at the point of purchase, the Kirby Center box office (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), and ticketmaster.com.
The Country Music Hall of Fame member has enjoyed great success during his storied career of nearly six decades, which has been celebrated during his Final World Tour: The Gambler’s Last Deal, including a stop at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Dec. 10.
The enduring country and pop icon has endeared music lovers around the globe with his amazing songs, heartfelt performances, distinctive voice, gift for storytelling, and universal appeal.
The first country artist to consistently sell out arenas, Rogers has played to millions of fans around the world, performing songs from his long list of hits which comprise 24 No. 1s, including “The Gambler,” “Lucille,” “Coward of the County,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” “She Believes in Me,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Daytime Friends,” “Through The Years,” “You Decorated My Life,” and “Buy Me a Rose.”
Incredibly, Rogers has charted a record within each of the last seven decades. He has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, making him one of the Top 10 bestselling male solo artists of all time, according to the RIAA.
Rogers has won many awards for his music and charity work, including three Grammy Awards, 19 American Music Awards, 11 People’s Choice Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards, and six Country Music Association Awards, including the CMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2015, he was awarded the CMT Artist of a Lifetime Award and, in 2016, he received the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award from the TJ Martell Foundation.
