August 21: Today, singer Kenny Rogers is 72.

Rogers has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres and topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone.

His career began in the mid-1950s, when he recorded with a doo-wop group called The Scholars who had some success with a single called "Poor Little Doggie". Rogers was not the lead singer of the group and after two more singles they disbanded when their leader went solo.

In 1966 he joined The New Christy Minstrels as a singer and double bass player. Rogers and fellow members Mike Settle, Terry Williams and Thelma Camacho left the group and formed The First Edition in 1967. The group had a string of hits on both the pop and country charts, before Rogers struck out on his own.

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 hundreds of awards for both his music and charity work. These include AMAs, Grammys, ACMs and CMAs, as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003.

-- "Just Dropped In"

-- "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town"
-- "Lady"
-- "The Gambler"