Legendary American vocalist Kenny Rogers, who dominated the pop and country charts in the 1970s and 1980s has died aged 81 in Sandy Springs, Georgia, in the United States.

"Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family,” his family tweeted early Saturday.

Rogers was raised in public housing in Houston Heights with seven siblings.

As a 20-year-old, he had a gold single called "That Crazy Feeling,” under the name Kenneth Rogers.

However, the Houston-born performer’s breakthrough came when he was asked to join the New Christy Minstrels, a folk group, in 1966.

After the group broke up in 1974, Rogers started his solo career and found a big hit with the country ballad Lucille, in 1977, which crossed over to the pop charts and earned Rogers his first Grammy.

He then notched singles that won him attention like "The Gambler,” "Lady," "Islands in the Stream," "Lucille," "She Believes In Me," and "Through the Years.”

After a six-decade career, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association.

Rogers sold millions of records, won three Grammys and was the star of TV movies based on "The Gambler”, which in 2007, became the unofficial anthem of the England World Cup rugby team, catapulting Rogers back into the spotlight

He was the fourth of eight children in a poor family. Married five times, Rogers is survived by his last wife Wanda and five children.

Due to the  national COVID-19 emergency, the family is planning a small private service at this time with a public memorial planned for a later date.