BY LEE PFEIFFER

Kenny Rogers, who overcame a hardscrabble upbringing to become a country music legend, has died at age 81. Rogers was a prolific talent. Inspired by seeing Ray Charles in concert, he decided to become a singer and was part of the New Christy Minstrels folk group in the early 1960s. Rogers then became part of the counter-culture revolution in music later in the decade. Many people probably don't realize that he was the lead vocal on the First Edition's `1967 hard rock, psychedelic hit "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)". He later found his niche in country western music and during the 1970s and 1980s became one of the most successful singers of the era, with tens of millions of albums sold. Rogers' iconic ballad "The Gambler" became massively popular and spurred a successful, if short-lived acting career in the 1980s based on a series of TV movies inspired by the song. Rogers' popularity didn't extend to the big screen, however. His 1982 feature film "Six Pack" was a family comedy that proved to be only moderately successful at the boxoffice. Music was his bread and butter and Rogers had the ability to cross over into audiences that generally rejected country and western music, making him one of the most celebrated singers of his time. For more, click here.