Getty Portrait of singer Kenny Rogers and Marianne Gordon in 1977
Kenny Rogers, a beloved classic country star who left us with numerous beautiful songs, has died at the age of 81. He leaves behind a loving family and his wife Wanda Miller Rogers. One of his ex-wives is Marianne Gordon, with whom he also has a child.
1. Marianne Gordon Was Kenny Rogers’ Fourth Wife & They Were Married in 1977
Marianne Gordon was Kenny Rogers’ fourth wife and they were married in 1977. They divorced in 1993, so they were together for nearly 17 years.
Gordon was born in Athens, People reported, and her dad worked in insurance. She moved to Atlanta after she’d been in college for a year and worked as a model for a time in New York. She then moved to California where she got some movie roles, including Rosemary’s Baby and Modern Millie. Then she joined Hee Haw in 1971.
According to IMDb, her other credits include The Gambler in 1980, Little Darlings in 1980, The Being in 1983, Coward of the County in 1981, Fire and Rain in 1989, and The Gambler Returns in 1991. Her last IMDb listing is from 1991.
2. Gordon & Rogers Had One Child, Christopher Cody Rogers
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Marianne Gordon and Kenny Rogers had one child, Christopher Cody Rogers. He was born on December 4, 1981. He’s an actor and director, having starred in Reno 911!, The Gambler: The Luck of the Draw, and Six Pack. He directed three shorts: Two if By Sea, Park, and Loneliness.
In an interview with Independent, Rogers once said that Christopher had a tough time when he and Gordon divorced. But he promised he would still be Christopher’s dad no matter what, and his son felt better.
3. Rogers Said Gordon Deserved the $60 Million She Got in Their Divorce
Rogers and Gordon’s divorce settlement included $60 million, Independent reported. And Rogers wasn’t just fine with that, he thought Gordon deserved it. He said that while they were married, his band broke up and he ended up in a huge amount of debt, but she stood by him every step of the way.
He said: “But Marianne really did deserve the 60 million because she is a great girl and we had a perfect marriage for 15 years.”
He said that after their son was born, she couldn’t tour with him as much and she stayed home to take care of their child. “I found that our lifestyles were clashing,” he said. “So one day we just said, ‘Life is short, we deserve to be happy, let’s find something else to do with our lives,’ and the marriage ended.”
4. Gordon & Rogers Met on ‘Hee Haw’
Hee Haw Meet the Cast
Marianne Gordon
Gordon and Rogers met in the 1970s when he was a guest on Hee Haw, according to a 1978 article in People. After they met a second time at a party, they started dating while they both were going through divorces. They moved forward slowly and didn’t rush anything. Marianne Gordon went on tour with Kenny Rogers, and he often accompanied her for guest appearances on Hee Haw.
5. He Was Married Five Times & He Said Gordon Got Along with His Current Wife Wonderfully
Kenny Rogers has been married five times. His first marriage was to Janice Gordon from 1958 to 1960. His second marriage was to Jean Rogers from October 1960 to 1963. His third marriage was to Margo Anderson from October 1964 to 1976. In 1977 he married Marianne Gordon and they were married until 1993. In 1997, he and Wanda Miller were happily married. They often shared sweet photos on Facebook celebrating their lives together.
Rogers said in an interview with Independent that Marianne Gordon was wonderful with Wanda Miller. ” Marianne has been absolutely wonderful to Wanda, very supportive. Ex-wives can make current wives miserable, but Marianne doesn’t do that. She sees I’m happy and that makes her happy.”
Kenny Rogers will be greatly missed. His music has touched the lives of many.
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