DIED
Kenny Rogers
Country music’s ace
WHEN KENNY ROGERS, WHO DIED AT 81 ON MARCH 20, ASKED me to play the role of his love interest in his 1993 TV movie Rio Diablo, I was overjoyed. But before we shot the first scene, I was an absolute mess with nerves. Yes, I’ve sung in the Super Bowl halftime show, but acting in a dramatic western was brand-new to me.
In the first scene, I was supposed to run toward Kenny, put my arms around him and scream, “Don’t leave, they will kill you!” Just as I touched him, he whispered, “For God’s sake, Naomi, don’t laugh.” Of course, this immediately sent me into doing the bent-over double belly laugh. The director and crew laughingly told me to expect such pranks…
