The iconic musician had more children with his fifth wife. Earlier in life, after having his older kids, he felt no desire to become a father again. But over time, his perspective shifted — he later opened up about why he changed his mind.
Kenny Rogers walked down the aisle five times throughout his life. His wives included Janice Gordon, Margo Anderson, Marianne Gordon, and Wanda Miller. Each relationship marked a different chapter in his journey, with family playing an important role in many of them.
After receiving major honors — among them, three Grammy Awards and several Academy of Country Music trophies — Rogers chose to leave the spotlight. The singer-songwriter stepped away from performing to spend more time with those he loved most. Meet his children — each born during a different chapter of his life.
Carole Lynne Rogers
Kenny Rogers became a father for the first time in September 1958. He welcomed his daughter, Carole, with his first wife, Gordon. The couple had married just a few months earlier, in May of that year. In a candid interview, Kenny shared how quickly life changed for him:
“You know what? I loved her. At 19 I thought, ‘This is ok with me.’ That was a thing where her parents thought I’d ruined her life and were determined to break me. It didn’t work, and it’s really sad because I think it could have worked.”
Reflecting on his past, the award-winning Texas native added, “You can’t say I’m afraid of commitment. I’ve been married five times!” As his career began to soar, personal ties quietly shifted.
Kenny and Gordon went their separate ways in April 1960. With the demands of his growing music career, time with Carole became limited. By 1980, reports revealed that the star had been granted just two hours of visitation per week with his daughter.
When asked whether he remained in contact with Carole, Kenny shared that he had chosen to step back out of respect for her family’s wishes. He had promised to be her father in name, while allowing her stepfather to take on the role of Dad.
The music icon acknowledged that the man entered Carole’s life during a difficult time and embraced the responsibility with care and love. He expressed deep appreciation for the role the man played, calling him a good guy.
Kenny Rogers Jr.
In 1963, Kenny married Anderson, his third wife, who was already a mother to a daughter named Shannon. The following year, on May 24, 1964, they welcomed a son together — Kenny Jr.
However, the marriage did not last. The couple divorced in 1975, and Anderson later settled in Palm Springs with their son. In the years after their split, the celebrity’s connection with Kenny Jr. became strained. Reflecting on their distant bond in a 1980 interview, he shared:
“I would wish desperately that my relationship with Kenny Jr. were better.”
Though Kenny longed for a better relationship with his son, his rising career often pulled him away. Looking back, he admitted, “There’s a fine line between being driven and being selfish… I think I was selfish a lot.”
The “Through the Years” singer recognized how his ambition affected those closest to him. Kenny admitted he had been absent during key moments with two wives and two children, and while he regretted the pain it caused, he knew it couldn’t be undone.
Christopher Cody Rogers
Kenny married his fourth wife, Gordon, in October 1977. Four years later, in December 1981, they welcomed their son, Christopher, an actor and director. At first, he described their relationship as a “perfect marriage.” However, things began to change after their child was born.
The “You and I” hitmaker shared in another interview that the shift wasn’t anyone’s fault. “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,” he explained.
As time passed, their lives began to drift apart. Kenny noticed that after returning from tours or tennis events, their routines no longer aligned. Eventually, they agreed that life was too short to stay unhappy and decided to part ways.
Though the marriage ended, Kenny remained committed to fatherhood. He once shared how telling Christopher about the divorce left his son in tears. The boy’s biggest fear was losing his dad. Kenny assured him that would never happen.
He also spoke about the importance of honesty in relationships and praised his former wife for supporting his new one. “Ex-wives can make current wives miserable, but Marianne doesn’t do that,” he said.
Jordan Edward and Justin Charles Rogers (Twins)
Kenny married Miller, his fifth wife, in June 1997. Seven years later, at age 65, he became a father to identical twin sons, Jordan and Justin, born in July 2004. At first, he was unsure about having more children. Early in their relationship, both had agreed not to start a family. But when Miller turned 31, her heart changed — and so did his.
The Hall of Famer realized it wouldn’t be fair to deny her the chance at motherhood. He later said in an interview that the decision came after deep thought:
“I didn’t want her to wake up at 50 and me be dead and for her to have to say, ‘I wish I hadn’t married Kenny, I could have had kids.'”
When he learned they were expecting twins, Kenny was overjoyed. “It wasn’t just ‘We are going to have a baby.’ It was totally overwhelming,” he expressed.
Becoming a father later in life brought concerns for Kenny, especially knowing he might miss key moments in his sons’ futures. Yet the joy his twins brought him outweighed the worry. He felt closer to his wife than ever and believed fatherhood was his greatest role — even if it took five marriages to discover that.
Parenthood continued to shape Kenny’s later years in meaningful ways. When Jordan and Justin were nine, he visited the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center in Missouri and praised its mission to offer free therapy for children with special needs.
He admitted keeping up with young kids was tough, saying it felt more like “break” than “make” at times, but called it a true gift. Reflecting on the center, he noted it began in a small house with just a few children and no charge to families. Grateful for his own sons’ health, he said it gave him peace knowing a place like that existed for others.
As the years passed, Kenny found joy in the everyday moments with his boys. Describing fatherhood at his age as “bling,” he joked about how they no longer expected him to keep up in an interview — knowing full well they could outrun him.
The father of five often spoke about how special it felt to raise identical twins, calling it “the coolest thing.” Though they grew up surrounded by his fame, he doubted they fully understood its reach.
With his twins growing up fast, Kenny chose to step away from touring at 77, closing his career with “The Gambler’s Last Deal.” He felt he had done enough and wanted to give his boys the time he once missed with his older children.
Looking ahead in 2016, he planned family trips across Asia and Europe, hoping his sons would one day remember, “My dad took me there.” Those travel plans and quiet moments with his boys became even more meaningful as time went on. In March 2020, Kenny passed away peacefully at home at the age of 81. According to a family spokesperson, the cause was natural.
Three years later, in June 2023, his sons Jordan and Justin reached a milestone of their own when they graduated from high school. A month after graduating, Jordan and Justin, 19, shared how they honor their dad’s memory.
Jordan still holds on to Kenny’s advice, “Just keep being yourself. You’re very funny.” They’ve also kept up their “Super Saturdays” tradition, often returning to the same Chuck E. Cheese table they once shared with him.
Their weekly tradition is just one of many ways they stay connected to Kenny. Justin shared, “I miss everything about him,” adding:
“He was a really fun dad.”
Kenny captured moments with his twins in “Catchin’ Grasshoppers,” a track on the posthumous album “Life Is Like a Song,” curated by Miller. Jordan teared up hearing it for the first time. Inspired by their dad, Justin learned guitar and Jordan took up drums. Their favorites include “Coward of the County,” “The Gambler,” and “Love Will Turn You Around.”
As they looked ahead, the twins planned to take a gap year to explore their next steps. Their mother Miller sees Kenny in their everyday gestures — hands in pockets or behind their backs — and often tells them, “That was your dad’s look.”
Kenny Rogers lived many lives — as a chart-topping legend, a devoted father, and a man who never stopped learning what love meant. Though he’s gone, his voice, values, and legacy continue to echo through the lives of his children.
