Family and music are two core components of Dann Rogers‘ life and soul, and as the nephew of the late great Kenny Rogers, they are one and the same; a man to look up to as both your flesh and blood, and also as the music icon that he became. Over the years, Dann received advice in life, love and music from his legendary uncle, as well as support and inspiration to follow his own musical dreams.
Dann recently shared with The Country Note an intimate look into his special relationship with his uncle Kenny, the backstory to his latest single “Lesson In Love” and more.
CN: First, we want to personally extend our condolences on the loss of your uncle Kenny. He is so missed. He was an amazing person, artist and such a legend. We are keeping your family in our thoughts especially as the anniversary of his passing is approaching.
DR: Thank you for that. Few accomplish the great heights that he rose to from such humble beginnings. Our family and extended family finally had the opportunity to say goodbye to him in a memorial service in Atlanta on Sunday March 20th on the two-year passing of his death. It was a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to a beautiful man. He was a fine example of someone who worked hard, treated people well, and went on to live the American Dream. He was my not only my uncle but a mentor to me and many others whose lives he touched. There will never be another Kenny Rogers.
CN: Your uncle gave you support to go out and chase your dream of a career in music. Can you share with us how your relationship with him helped build your confidence and desire to carve out your career?
DR: I have to be inspired by someone for me to be interested in what they do, and he definitely inspired me from an early age on. I grew up in the music industry and was exposed to things most normal kids wouldn’t even believe. My dad would always take me to work with him so I grew in radio station control rooms, recording studios and my dad’s record company offices. When I was around five, Kenny was playing bass in a jazz trio in Houston where we lived. I would go watch them practice on Saturdays during the day. I was always backstage with him and the First Edition the whole time that group was together. Keith Bugos was their tour manager and we were roommates in the early 70’s, so I would go to gigs with him to help set up and tear down the band equipment between shows. Inspiration was always around me and I loved how it made me feel. It took me many years before I realized that Kenny was out there paving the way for me to learn from so I could follow my own dreams. I will always be grateful to him for the example he showed me.
CN: He was and still is your main musical idol. Which other artists have you looked up to both personally and as an artist?
DR: I tend to gravitate to the artists who write their own songs and have their own unique style and sound. I have to feel like I’m connecting with their soul when I hear their music. Now and then an artist like Lady Gaga or Chris Stapleton comes along, and you immediately find what you’re looking for in the new music they bring to the table. I’ve never been one to follow trends in music and write a song for someone else to record. Music was therapy for me. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re making music to get rich or famous, you’re making it for the wrong reasons. I grew listening to Top 40 radio, country music and R&B music, so I can listen to most anything and find something I like about it if it’s original and unique. It’s the people who write songs based on trends that bore me. Why try to re-create what has already been created? I’ve always loved the way Lionel Ritchie writes. Back in the 80’s, he came walking into the studio to hear what I was doing and was so impressed by my song that he wrote down his personal phone number and asked me to call him and come write a song with him. I never called him because I was afraid he wouldn’t call me back.
CN: Which artists impress you today?
DR: Very few new artists impress me anymore, as far as originality goes. Especially if they are following musical trends. I stopped listening to the radio when music started to all sound alike. My standards are pretty high, and I refuse to compromise them, so I can fit in somewhere. It takes a special talent to get my attention and keep it. Whenever I listen to new music, I give them a verse and a chorus to hook me and keep me listening.
There are two different music businesses out there. There is the corporate music business that follows trends and competes for market shares, and then there are the independent artist who make music for art’s sake. If you’re making music to compete for sales and chart positions, then at some point you will have to compromise your artistic integrity and bow to the business that is designed to run on profits. Been there, done that. Never again. I’m an artist first, and I will always strive to express myself through my art in a way no one else has done. Be unique in everything you do.
CN: Earlier this year you released your latest single “Lesson In Love,” a song you wrote and recorded many years ago but decided not include it on any albums or release it until now. What led you to knowing that this was the time for the world to hear it?
DR: I wrote “Lesson in Love” while on a 40 fast 12 years ago. I never recorded it because I was afraid of the subject, however the song literally fell out of me and I wrote it in a matter of minutes, so I could not ignore it. It’s a story of what a woman contemplating abortion goes through. It’s written from a standpoint of empathy and from a man’s perspective. I decided about a year ago that I wanted to record something as an art piece and not try to worry about having a commercial hit. I had the idea for the video using a ballerina dancing as a counter balance to bring beauty to the pain in the story. I called my old friend Bill Cuomo and suggested we do something together so he produced it. It had nothing to do with the hot topic that it has become today in the courts. It was simply a story I wrote a long time ago and a topic whose time has come of age once again.
CN: The topic of abortion has always been a very difficult subject, even if you take the political side out of the conversation. It’s a difficult and personal choice, battle and recovery emotionally, mentally and physically, and these post-effects aren’t always talked about. Your song provides a stepping stone for people to see the afterwards; the possible regret, loss, emptiness.
DR: I had no idea when I sat down to write that I’d be writing a song about a woman contemplating abortion. I felt like a spirit moved through me and the song wrote itself. I can’t imagine what goes through a woman’s head and heart in making that decision. I experienced that process first hand when I was younger in a relationship with a girlfriend. We decided it was the right thing for her to do at that time, but it took an emotional toll on us both. Now that I’m older and have four beautiful sons, I sometimes think I could have had a fifth son or a daughter. I still feel a little sad about, it but it was the right thing to do for her at that time in her life.
CN: While the message of the song is very clear, what do you personally hope fans will take away from the single?
DR: Whenever you are dealing with something and contemplating taking an action, no matter what it is, think it through and then re-think it again. Doubt what you are doing at that moment in time just long enough to give yourself an honest look at what you are facing. One decision can alter your life and steal your dreams right out from under you. Don’t let your regrets be a score card for your future.
CN: Can you take us through your songwriting process?
DR: I don’t write everyday like I did when I was young. I’ll go a year or more without writing and then I’ll sit down and write several songs within a short period. It’s as if I’m observing everything around me, and then I sit down and write about what I’ve seen or something I’ve gone through. Whenever I write, I keep several guitars around me all tuned to different tunings, so I have a variety of sounds to inspire me. I’ll pick one up and doodle until I hit on something that inspires me. Once I find a progression with a good feel, I’ll hum a melody over it until I find one that fits the music I’m playing. Once I have music and melody, I start getting a vision for a storyline, and then once I write the opening line it just flows from there. I never sit down to write with a preconceived title or idea. Whatever comes out of me at that moment is what I write.
CN: You have collaborated with many artists and songwriters over your career. Is there anyone you haven’t worked with that you’d love to have the opportunity to?
DR: There is such a vast collection of artists I admire, but none that comes to mind right now. I have to be inspired by someone as a person to want to sit down and share talents with them. I got to a point several years ago where I just stopped co-writing with other people because I wanted to get all of the pure art out of me that I can while I can still write. I don’t consider myself an artist who strives to be on the radio anymore. I’ve been there and done that in my early years. When I look at the long list of artists I’ve been exposed to I would say I’ve had some great mentors along the way. I’m pretty content and grateful for the life I’ve had and the great talents I’ve had the chance to work with. However, there are still some great musicians out there on my bucket list I’d like to record with.
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
DR: I’m an artist. I take a pure artist approach to making my music. I was told at an early age that I had the temperament and talent seed to become a great artist. Kenny often introduced me as a world class singer/songwriter and great entertainer. I just never wanted to make music for money and profit. When you let commerce dictate the kind of art you create, and you make music for profit, so you can get on the radio, you dilute the art form. Music is the oxygen that feeds my imagination and allows me to create so I can feel at one with the universe.
CN: You recently released your double LP LIFE REFLECTIONS and LIFE REVEALED, followed by this new single. What can fans expect next?
DR: I just spent two weeks hiding out on a farm in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with my producer Bill Cuomo and working on my next single. I’ll release the single with a video sometime over the summer. I’ll cut one more track to release in the fall along with a video. I’m only working on singles from here on out. I love the freedom of being able to make art and not allow commerce to interfere. Anytime Art ends up in the same equation as commerce, commerce will always win out and art will always suffer, but in the long run, the art will outlast commerce. I’m making art from here on out. My art, the way I want to hear it and on my own terms. That’s true artistic freedom.
We are putting a team together this month to start looking at the possibility of a tour in 2023. Stay tuned!
CN: What was the best advice – either for life, career, love, anything – that your uncle Kenny ever shared with you?
DR: He taught me the value of integrity. Being a loyal friend with good character was someone he strived to be. He also taught me how to play golf and ride horses in my early 20’s. Those are treasured times.
He once said to me “Dann, I’m going to give you my best 2 pieces of advice.
1. Always be nice to people. If they like you they will go out of their way to help you.
2. The more success you have, the prettier the girls get.
He was so right, because we both found success in our careers and wound up with two of the most beautiful women in the world, and both named Wanda. We laughed at that on the day we introduced our wives to each other. It just goes to show God really does have a sense of humor.
Rest in peace, Unc. I’ll carry on for a little while and then pass the torch on to the next generation.
For more information on Dann Rogers, visit his website www.dannrogers.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.