Claim: Kenny Rogers released the song, The Gambler.

Kenneth Ray Rogers -LRB- born August 21 , 1938 -RRB- is an American singer , songwriter , actor , record producer , and entrepreneur . He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame .   Though he has been most successful with country audiences , Rogers has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres , topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone and has sold over 100 million records worldwide , making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time . On September 25 , 2015 , Rogers announced on NBC 's Today Show that he was retiring from show business after a final tour to spend more time with his wife and twin boys .   Two of his albums , The Gambler and Kenny , are featured in the About.com poll of `` The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever '' . He was voted the `` Favorite Singer of All-Time '' in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People . He has received numerous such awards as the AMAs , Grammys , ACMs and CMAs , as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003 .   Later success includes the 2006 album release , Water & Bridges , an across the board hit , that hit the Top 5 in the Billboard Country Albums sales charts , also charting in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200 . The first single from the album , `` I Ca n't Unlove You , '' was also a sizable chart hit . Remaining a popular entertainer around the world , the following year he completed a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland , telling BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright his favorite hit was `` The Gambler '' . He has also acted in a variety of movies and television shows , most notably the title roles in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler and the MacShayne series as well as his appearance on The Muppet Show . He is also a co-founder of the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters .