Luck Or Something Like It (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
Kenny Rogers' creative skills are in singing lyrical stories and taking photographs; this 3 and 1/2-star book reflects those abilities by creating a picture-perfect story of his life that lacks any real depth. It's enjoyable reading as far as it goes but it just skims the surface of much of what he has done. He makes sure to push his image as a "aw, shucks" type of average country family man while ignoring his reputation as a wealthy womanizer and control freak.The early parts of the book are actually the best, where he talks about his younger years and how he got into the business. In the middle section he gets tripped up with an odd back-and-forth writing style where he will tell unrelated stories outside the normal timeline (a couple of time apologizing for it!). There are also some factual errors and he takes undeserved credit for some accomplishments that sound much greater than they were. He does little self-analysis and claims to just stumble into a successful music career. He certainly name drops and paints every person he works with as wonderful, almost afraid to tell any really good stories about the many stars he has collaborated with. You get tired of the repetition by the third or fourth time he praises his traveling tennis partner or bass player.Meanwhile he leaves divorced wives and estranged children along the sidelines. It's hard to believe he is such a family man when he had little to do with his first two sons and has a daughter that he doesn't know who isn't included in the dedication of the book. While hearing about his interests (tennis, photography, building houses) is okay there are very few personal stories here about his private life or family because he essentially ignored them through the years.This book is meant to create an image of Rogers that is very one-sided, as a moral southern boy who is dedicated to his children and charities. He repeats often that he just likes to eat at McDonalds and drive a mini-van, yet he at one time had the single largest home in Los Angeles (50,000 square feet) and has had Rolls Royces. While this is a flattering self-portrait that is a breezy read for those who aren't die-hard fans (thus the four stars from me but true Rogers lovers may be less satisfied), the audience is left with the feeling that we still don't really know what the true picture is of the guy. Kenny Rogers just accents the parts of his life he wants tell his readers but leaves out most of the parts he's rather not speak about so it really wasn't a very comprehensive account of his life. His partnership with Dolly Parton is presented in a more thorough, entertaining way where as his lengthy personal relationship with Lorrie Morgan is barely mentioned.The book was likeable if you are a Kenny Rogers fan. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother reading it.
What do You think about Luck Or Something Like It (2000)?
Loved this book. Kenny related his life story and his passion for the music business.
—daija
Because there is definitely a story behind this one :)
—bignate417
If your at all a fan, it's an interesting read.
—Jordan
