Kenny Rogers Photo Courtesy of Capitol Records
Aug. 27, 2008 — Kenny Rogers, Brad Paisley and Wynonna are all taking part in celebrations of the "Big 5-0," and not one of them is 50. Kenny just celebrated his 70th birthday last week, Wynonna is 44, and Brad’s a scant 35.
Kenny and Wynonna are observing 50th anniversaries, and Brad took part over the weekend in a friend’s 50th birthday party.
For Kenny, the anniversary is personal. He released his first successful single as a solo artist, "That Crazy Feeling," in 1958, earning a slot on the TV series "American Bandstand." He’s honoring that span with the release yesterday of an album, Kenny Rogers: 50 Years, exclusively through Cracker Barrel.
The disc features some of the biggest hits he’s made since then, including "Lady," "Lucille," "The Gambler" and "Coward Of The County." It’s also augmented with three new tracks, produced by former Elvis Presley pianist Tony Brown: "She’ll Believe in You," "Something’s Wrong In Vegas," and "Only Time Will Tell."
Wynonna plans to appear Sept. 4 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during a 50th anniversary event for the AARP. Leeza Gibbons will emcee the gathering, which is also expected to draw actress Sally Field, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, tennis star Martina Navratilova, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and gospel/R&B singer Patti Austin, among others.
Brad and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, attended a 50th birthday party in Los Angeles on Sunday for Olympic skater Scott Hamilton, according to People. Also at the soiree were actors William Shatner and Kevin Sorbo, rock singer Meat Loaf, hockey player Bret Hedican, comedians Eric Idol and Kevin Nealon, and ex-Olympians Bruce Jenner and Kristi Yamaguchi.
Scott is a former Californian now living in Nashville, and he played a minor role in Brad’s career by singing in the party chorus on Brad's song, "Alcohol."