Gambler Fans Cash In At Great Falls Concert

The crowd of 2,036 people leapt to their feet as Kenny Rogers took the stage and opened the show with a strong rendition of the Steve Winwood classic, 'Back in the High Life Again.'
Rogers, long known for his humor on stage, immediately started in with the fun mugging for the camera with look-a-like Oran Lien of Missoula, who was sitting in the front row when he caught Rogers' attention.
An American music icon whose recording career spans five decades, Rogers last visited Great Falls in 1992.
This time around, his first two songs were up-tempo and had a rock feel.
'You will be happy to know those are the two loudest songs I know,' he said.
Rogers then delighted the crowd with more humor between songs.
'I can always pick out the men that didn't want to come tonight,' Rogers said, before pointing out such a man in the front row, who told the singer his name was Kevin.
'Kevin, I'll give you $10 for every one of my hits you can name because I don't think you're a fan,' Rogers said before throwing $10 bills off the stage as Kevin called out 'Lucille,' 'The Gambler' and 'Ruby.'
'I'm going to make him work for this one,' Rogers said as he let a 10-spot drift just off the stage.
'You see, I'm not above buying my fans,' Rogers joked.
His humorous interlude was followed by 'If You Want to Find Love.'
Rogers launched into his first ballad of the evening for his fourth song one of his biggest hits 'Through The Years.'
Among those in the front row were Cindy and Troy Tomes, along with Cindy's children, Tabitha and wide angle camera Kenny Clark.
'My son and I were here at 8 in the morning the first day they went on sale,' Tomes said. 'I made him miss school to wait with me.'
Josie Murphy said she was very excited about seeing Rogers in concert for the first time.
'I've wanted to see him ever since I've been in the states,' said Murphy, a Philippines native who's been a Montana resident for 31 years.
Some of the lucky folks who arrived early randomly received backstage passes to meet Rogers before the concert.
'Someone just gave my wife a backstage pass,' said Brett McMurphy of Great Falls, who had front-row seats with his wife, Kelly. The couple said they waited in line for 45 minutes the day tickets went on sale to ensure they bought good seats. The couple also got the jump on getting in the door for the concert.
'We were here at 7 (for the 8 p.m. show),' McMurphy said. 'I'm a contractor. When I work out of town, I work until sundown but not today. My wife made me leave work early.'
When asked what his favorite Rogers song was, McMurphy said'The Gambler,' 'Islands in the Stream''Ruby.'
'I like them all. There won't be a song that's not good,' he said.
Kelly McMurphy added she was thrilled to meet Rogers.
'He was very nice,' she said. 'He gave me a little hug.'


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