Despite His Most Popular Song, Rogers Never Did Much Gambling. Rogers' most popular song is arguably his 1978 release "The Gambler," but in 2015, he told NPR that he'd never been a big gambler himself. "I learned a long time ago, I can't win enough money to excite me, but I can lose enough to depress me," he admitted.
Stuff like this might actually be one reason Disney+ doesn't have The Muppet Show. I mean, yeah, they have The Simpsons, but Disney wants the Muppets to be squeaky clean these days.
The Muppets was like a lot of comedy programs at the time, family friendly but not really intended to be a kids show. I think that’s why they created Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock.
"Somewhere in the darkness The Gambler, he broke even But in his final words I found an Ace I could keep." -The Gambler, final verse. R.I.P. Kenneth Ray "Kenny" Rogers August 21, 1938 - March 20, 2020
When I was a young kid, we all heard The Gambler on the radio but didn't pay much attention to the words. When I saw this on TV, I understood what the song was about. Thank you, Jim Henson.
One of the great moments on The Muppet Show, and a fantastic performance by Kenny Rogers. And he wasn't asked to soften the lyrics. The ending is just classic. RIP Kenny Rogers.
I still vividly remember seeing this as a young child on the Muppet Show. I'm older now than Kenny was when he made this. It's funny how things have changed. They'd NEVER put mention of alcohol or cigarettes in a kid's show today. It would be unthinkable.
The Muppet Show was also very specifically not a kid's show though. It was targetted at families, although it's creator always hoped to push it more towards adults. That's part of why it did so good with all audiences.
Some of the best advice I've ever heard. I saw this show when I was a kid, and those lyrics stick in my head as a reminder how you could deal with some of the situations in life...some things you can hold on to, some you got to let go, other times you need to walk away, or better yet, run. Classic song, one of my favorites from Kenny.
When I first saw this at 3, it wasn't death that scared me, it was being alone when life is short. Thank you, Jim Henson for knowing kids need this. Thank you too, Kenny Rogers
This was one of the episodes I recorded on Betamax when I was a kid. I watched it over so many times that my grandmother ended up buying me Kenny Rogers' The Gambler record album. That was the first album I ever had that wasn't Disney or Sesame Street or something like that.
@@doughesson Also because even though it resulted in better quality overall than VHS, a standard Betamax tape on Beta I (equivalent to SP or standard play on VHS which got best quality) only got you 1 hour of play time opposed to 2 hours of play time on a standard VHS tape. With movie run times usually being between an hour and a half and 2 hours, it was an obvious choice of format when movie studios started releasing their movies onto tapes to be rented at video stores.
@@marcusblackwell2372 Betamaxes were VCR's. They used tapes like VHS players only they were smaller so a Beta tape wouldn't work in a VHS player and vice versa. In the early days of VCR's Sony was the proprietor of Betamax, they didn't make VHS players, only when it became clear that VHS would likely win the format war did they start making them.
I haven't seen this since it first aired. This is the most memorable sketch from the muppets. I still think about it every time I listen to the gambler. I love the part when he's dancing as a ghost.
I remember being in both awe and fear at the man-muppets with the real hands. Not sure we'll see muppets drinking and smoking anytime soon....miss the good ol days.
"Ya never count yer money when yer sittin at the table..." The game is life and right now Kenny is counting his many accomplishments since he is no longer at the table. I loved sharing this table with you even if I never actually met you. Bless you Kenny!
I saw this when it was new. I was 4. My jaw hit the floor when I watched a muppet die on tv right in front of me, lol. Scarred me for life 😂 44 years later, I still love this song and the “haunting vibes” it gives me 👻🖤
True story - I'd liked the song for many years, but never listened to all the lyrics. I was drunkenly singing it at an office Christmas karaoke party with my boss ...and got all bummed mid-song to find out that's what happened!
Me too. It only just occurred to me though after watching that Geico commercial that the gambler died in this sketch so I had to watch it to confirm. Creepy.
I remember watching this the first time it aired. Why did it take so long to post on this page? Because I honestly thought it was a figment of my imagination. I KNEW I had watched it. I would have bet my life on having watched Kenny Rogers singing "The Gambler" on "The Muppet Show" and the ghost of the dead muppet singing along. I finally couldn't fight the urge to find out so I typed it in. I was correct! The only thing I got wrong was misremembering how Kenny sang it; it WAS performed live. So cool! Rest in peace, Kenny, and thanks for the eternal childhood memory!
This is why I loved that show. From Kenny, to Elton, to Alice Cooper, to Christopher Reeves, to Twiggy, & so on... The humor, & good natured fun is lost on shows these days. Artists like these are too few & far between now.
I was telling a guy at work that the first time I ever saw Kenny Rogers was on the muppet show. All I remembered was it being on a train. Seeing this again brought back a lot of things that I had forgotten
And somewhere in the darkness The gambler he broke even But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep You've got to know when to hold 'em Know when to fold 'em Know when to walk away And know when to run You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done... #RIP Kenny!
I love this video. I loved The Muppet Show when I was a kid and I love The Gambler. It's too bad that a sketch like this would never be shown on TV today. Unless they were to do a "kiddified" version, like The Chipmunks, switching Whiskey & Cigarettes for Rootbeer & Twinkies.
Infinite gratitude to you Mr. Kenny Rogers. Your music played the soundtrack of my 1970'S youth along with the enjoyment The Muppets brought. Your contribution to the Arts is greatly appreciated. I'm sure you will continue to do so in your next heavenly journey. SO LONG SIR!
I remember watching this on the "Muppet Show" when I was in high school. It was pretty special then and now that Kenny Rogers is gone, it is even more special.
I always felt sad when the the Muppet gambler dies in his sleep. I always since those days remember when his spirit would appear and it still hits me some when I see this.
It was actually a common trick for Muppets that needed to manipulate objects on-camera, without video editing where they just glued/stitched an object to their hand. Rowlf has a second puppeteer with his hands in "gloves" for his hands, for example, while the Swedish Chef uses a second puppeteer's hands for his own. (In the latter case, in the old days, it was Jim Henson operating the head and providing the voice, and Frank Oz providing the hands and desperately trying to crack Jim up with his semi-unplanned antics.)
I love both Kenny Rodgers and The Muppets Country music isnt nowhere near what it use to be. Dolly, Loretta, Dotie West , Conway, Willie, The Statler Brothers , all the classic country singers that I miss hearing and seeing. Remember hee haw? Great show.
Such a beautiful episode. The Muppet show was the latest TV that my grandmother allowed me to watch before bed and then my granddad would let me sneak watch Benny Hill. Mr. Kenny Rogers will be missed. 💞
Every now and then I play this. It immediately takes me back to my childhood. Anyone who is old enough to remember this, played outside until the streetlights came on lol
holyshit, I've always remembered this and the sadness it made me feel as a little kid when the old man died... and now, Kenny has passed exactly the way it was described in the song... wow.
R.i.p Kenny. Ri.p Jerry. Jerry Nelson was underrated as a performer. From Floyd pepper, Robin, Thog, Julius Strangepork, The Gambler, Lewis Zealand, Count Von Count, Fred the Wonder Horse, Mr Johnson (a.k.a Fat Blue) to various announcer rols and so much more, what a talent.
It's this performance on the Muppet Show in the 70's that this Yankee from Chicago land hooked on country music leaving an Italian Mom wondering where she went wrong raising a hillbilly up North. God rest your soul Kenny 🙏!!
This was my first exposure to Kenny’s music and have been a fan ever since. He was a master in using metaphors to give life advice. R.I.P. Kenny rest easy you finally broke even and left the world a Ace we will forever keep
One of my favorite moments on the Muppet Show. Something to show critics when they call the Muppet Show a "kids program." Jim Henson never forced the celebrities to change the words of their songs, even when they are as politically incorrect (by modern standards) as this one. After all, the song does depict a dying old man and his death.
I think it has kind of an older sensibility to it, that death is a thing that happens to everyone and we'll all have to learn about it some time. This is sort of the gentlest way to show it, he's an old man who fades away in just the way he wants to. I also like that the stars almost always seem to be truly enjoying themselves. He has that smile at the end, a kind of "hey I just performed a song with The Muppets, isn't that neat?"
I remember watching this as a kid. I remember getting emotional when the gambler died and smiling when his spirit was dancing. Weird how things this simple stay with you.
How I LOVE this skit! I remember watching it on TV Muppets show in the 1970 and still love it at 65 yrs old. I now have shown it to my Grandkids!! They loved it too. Well Kenny, you managed to break more than even! God Rest Your Soul...we will miss you.
Watching this brings back memories of my bowl of REAL popcorn (made in a pot on the stove) and my one piece PJs with the feet on them that I wore watching this every week as a kid. WOW.
RockStar67089 Seriously..my parents had a 5qt. saucepan with the lid. U take a little oil and butter melt it down on medium heat add in unpopped corn kernels put the lid on. U gotta constantly move the pot around over the flame so it doesn't burn. Once they get hot enough they start popping. When it starts slowing down move lid over for a quick peek if pot is full then turn off flame let last few kernels pop. Dump in big bowl. We didn't have microwaves or jiffy pop like now. It was done old school. Still make it and my teens would rather have it that way.
RockStar67089 I hope I didn't offend u with my tutorial on popcorn. Sometimes its hard to tell when someone is joking on here ;-) Thanks for understanding and explaining.
King of the Hill was my first experience with this song. I was so happy excited to see muppets did it too (love muppets) Gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em! 'cause ever hands a winner and ever hands a loser... But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep." RIP Kenny!
I remember watching this episode. Back then the Muppet show came on on Friday nights. Such a simple song and such a simple TV show, but both mean so much if you just stop and pause.
It's funny how The Muppet Show was conceived as sort of a parody of variety shows, but it turned out to be the best variety show of the '70s. Or close to it, along with Carol Burnett. I don't think any other version of the Muppets was as great as this original 1976-1981 show. Rest in Peace Jim Henson, Kenny Rogers, and Jerry Nelson.
My grandma was a minister's wife. She didn't like card games because she'd seen to many people gamble away all their money, as well as their farm/businesses and homes! My dad said to things if you ever gamble don't think you can win back your money and never ever bet money you can't afford to loose!
