Kenny Rogers Reveals Details About His New Christmas Album

By Timothy Yap Aug 26, 2015 07:56 AM EDT

Kenny Rogers, will release his first new Christmas album in seventeen years on September 25th via Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville. Titled Once Again It's Christmas, the festive set is Rogers' first Christmas release since Christmas From The Heart(1998), and his sixth Christmas release overall. Since the release of his first-ever Christmas album, Christmas, in 1981, Rogers has embarked on an annual Christmas & Hits Tour, which continues this winter as theOnce Again It's Christmas Tour featuring Linda Davis.

Rogers will perform holiday favorites, selections from his new Christmas album and his No. 1 hits at concerts across the U.S. and Canada. The tour currently includes 29 dates. Special VIP packages will be available for the tour dates that are not already on-sale. For the most up to date information on tour dates, tickets, VIP packages, and pre-order opportunities, visit: www.kennyrogers.com

The eleven-song album, Once Again It's Christmas, features several special guest stars. Jennifer Nettles joins Rogers on "Here It Is Christmas/Baby, It's Cold Outside"; Alison Krauss is featured on "Some Children See Him"; Home Free collaborates with Rogers on "Children, Go Where I Send Thee"; Jim Brickman guests on "That Silent Night"; and Winfield's Locket sings with Rogers on "There's A New Kid In Town." Rogers also co-wrote a powerful song called "The Light" with long-time bandmate Steve Glassmeyer and former bandmate, Warren Hartman. The song concludes the album. The new project was produced by Kyle Lehning and Hartman, who were joined by Darren Rust as co-producer for the song, "Children, Go Where I Send Thee." Steve Sundholm and Jim Brickman produced "That Silent Night."

The Once Again It's Christmas album cover art, unveiled here for the first time, is a photo taken by Rogers that he entitled "Red Tree." He captured the wintry scene while shooting in Yakima, Washington, in December 2003. Rogers received an Honorary Masters of Photography Degree from Professional Photographers of America (PPA) in 2014 for his contributions to the world of photography.

"I can't tell you how much fun it's been doing another Christmas album-it's my favorite time of year. Recording a project like this means I was able to re-live some old memories singing some of the songs I was raised listening to and grew to love as a child. The process also allowed me to make many new memories working with some very talented people. I'm excited about all of the special guests who joined me for this, and hope you enjoy it, too," Rogers said.

The past several years have been some of the most active, creative, and rewarding of Rogers' entire storied career. Once Again It's Christmas will be Rogers' third full studio release of all new recordings since 2011. In 2014, Rogers received his latest GRAMMY® Award nomination with Dolly Parton for "You Can't Make Old Friends," and in 2014 and 2015, Rogers' career was showcased in a year-long exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2013, Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 47th Annual CMA Awards. Some of Rogers' recent festival appearances include Great Britain's Glastonbury, Tennessee's Bonnaroo, and Morocco's Festival Timitar, where he played to a combined hundreds of thousands concert-goers.

Rogers has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide. He has charted a record within each of the last seven decades. The first country artist to consistently sell out arenas, Rogers quickly became a pop superstar as well - his 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary Top 10's rank him fourth-best of all time among men, trailing only Elton John, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Rogers has recorded 24 No. 1 hits, 11 No. 1 albums, 25 Top 10 country albums and is the RIAA's eighth best-selling male solo artist of all time. He has received three GRAMMY® Awards, 11 People's Choice Awards, 19 American Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards and six Country Music Association (CMA) Awards.

Track Listing For Once Again It's Christmas
1. Once Again It's Christmas
2. There's A New Kid In Town feat. Winfield's Locket
3. Here It Is Christmas/Baby, It's Cold Outside feat. Jennifer Nettles
4. Little Drummer Boy
5. Back To Bethlehem
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Some Children See Him feat. Alison Krauss
8. I'll Be Home For Christmas
9. Children, Go Where I Send Thee feat. Home Free
10. That Silent Night feat. Jim Brickman
11. The Light

34^th Annual Kenny Rogers Once Again It's Christmas -
Christmas & Hits Tour Dates
11/11-14 - Niagara Falls, Ontario - Niagara Fallsview Casino Avalon
11/17 - Moncton, New Brunswick - Casino New Brunswick*
11/18 - Truro, Nova Scotia - Rath Eastlink Centre*
11/20 - Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador - Pepsi Centre*
11/21 - Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador - Clarenville Events Centre*
11/22 - St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador - Mile One Centre*
11/27 - Northfield, Ohio - Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield*
11/28 - Merrillville, Ind. - Star Plaza Theatre*
11/30 - Terre Haute, Ind. - Hulman Center - Indiana State*
12/02 - Norfolk, Neb. - Divots Conference Center
12/04 - Bowler, Wis. - North Star Mohican Casino Showroom*
12/05 - Battle Creek, Mich. - Firekeepers Casino - Event Center*
12/06 - Windsor, Ontario - The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor*
12/08 - Ashland, Ky. - Paramount Arts Center*
12/10 - New Brunswick, N.J. - State Theatre*
12/11 - White Plains, N.Y. - Westchester County Center*
12/12 - Uncasville, Conn. - Mohegan Sun Arena*
12/13 - Bangor, Maine - Cross Insurance Center*
12/15 - Hagerstown, Md. - Maryland Theater*
12/16 - Roanoke, Va. - Berglund Performing Arts Theatre*
12/17 - Verona, N.Y. - Turning Stone Resort & Casino - Event Center
12/18 - King of Prussia, Pa. - Valley Forge Casino Resort*
12/19 - Englewood, N.J. - Bergen Performing Arts Center
12/20 - Concord, N.H. - The Capitol Center For The Arts
12/22 - Erie, Pa. - Warner Theater*
12/23 - Westbury, N.Y. - NYCB Theatre at Westbury*

* INDICATES VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE

For more information: kennyrogers.com