Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Before “The Gambler,” There was “Six Pack”

Before “The Gambler,” There was “Six Pack”
Arden Lambert
by

Arden Lambert covers breaking country music news for Country Thang Daily. If it just happened in country music, Arden is on it.

Get Country Thang Daily first on GoogleGet CTD first on GoogleAdd us as a preferred source in Top StoriesAdd us as a preferred sourceAdd

In 1982, the movie “Six Pack” starred a debuting newcomer in the film industry, Kenny Rogers. For most of us today, the movie may not have a significant impact or we could have probably not known that it existed. However, it was one of the movies that were the most awaited back in the day.

Kenny Rogers first gained his popularity as a singer. Songs like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “I Don’t Need You,” and “Through the Years” gave Rogers a great commercial success. Following this momentum, Rogers played the lead role as a racecar driver named “Brewster Baker.”

“Six Pack” and Country

Brewster Baker was re-aligning his thoughts about his return to the racetrack after facing defeat in his last race. He eventually met 6 kids that stole some auto parts. After chasing them, Brewster found out that the kids were orphans. Despite the several misadventures along the road, Brewster and the kids formed a bond. At the end of the movie, Brewster was able to pull out a successful comeback as a racer and the kids were able to find a home.

More than showcasing Rogers’ acting chops, “Six Pack” also highlighted the best of country music. Excluding the fact that one of the brightest stars in country music was playing the role, the movie used several country songs as soundtracks.

In a scene where Baker enters a bar, Merle Haggard’s “Rainbow Stew” was played in the background. Another country song was also played on one of the movie’s iconic scenes. This was when Baker, along with the six kids, was driving across the Tennessee border. The kids started singing an acapella version of “Rocky Top.”

More Movies

Along with the numerous hit songs he released, Rogers could be remembered for the long list of movies where he was featured, especially his role on “The Gambler.” The 1982 “Six Pack” film might not be his biggest movie role, but it showed what a Kenny Rogers could do on the big screen. He’s done a great job portraying the role of a rugged troubadour who was driven by big inspirations, but with a great mix of a tender spirit.

No one truly starts at the peak of success. You might have to face times of not bearing fruit, but just like with the late, great, Kenny Rogers, your first opportunity, no matter how small, deserves to be given a maximum effort. You’ll never know if that minimal opportunity is the key that will open up a greater path for you in the future.

Before “The Gambler,” There was “Six Pack”

Know someone who loves Kenny Rogers?

Pass this story along to your friends and family on Facebook.

Share on Facebook

Latest Stories

Yellowstone Baby Names Are Booming, and a Country Singer’s Character Cracked the Top 100

In 2022, for the first time ever, enough American parents named their baby boys Dutton to put the name in the national top 1,000. It came in at No. 836, ...

Tim McGraw’s Ex-Fiancee Was Standing Next to Him When He Met Faith Hill, and She Just Said So

In 1994, backstage at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tim McGraw posed for a group photo and met a singer named Faith Hill. On the way out, the girlfriend ...

What Happened to Shania Twain? The Lost Years, Her Husband and the Voice She Made Her Own

For seven years, the woman behind Come On Over, which the Global Lyme Alliance calls the best-selling female album ever, could not yell out for her own dog. “There were ...

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s Love Story Began at a Demo Session and a Promise He Kept

In 1987, two singers still waiting on their big break were recording a demo for songwriter Kent Blazy, and both of them were married to other people. Garth Brooks had ...

Willie Nelson’s IRS Tapes Album Came From Something the Government Had Already Taken From Him

In 1990, the IRS took Willie Nelson’s homesteads in three states, padlocked his recording studio and arranged to auction off his gold records and the family piano, Grunge reported. His ...

Chris LeDoux Was Rodeo’s 1976 World Champion Before Garth Brooks Admitted He ‘Stole My Whole Act From Chris’

Chris LeDoux came into the 1976 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City as the No. 14 qualifier and left as the world champion bareback rider. According to Sports Illustrated, he ...

John Anderson, ‘Seminole Wind’ Singer and Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 71

Country Music Hall of Fame member John Anderson died Wednesday at 71. Back in the summer of 1972, the young man from Apopka, Florida, moved to Nashville, where his older ...

Who Was the Real Jolene? Dolly Parton Revealed the Woman With a ‘Terrible Crush’ on Carl Dean and Got Her ‘Revenge’

In the early years of their marriage, Carl Dean spent a lot of time at the bank. He was trying to get a loan for his asphalt paving business, and ...

George Jones Called ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ Morbid, Reportedly Bet It Would Miss No. 1

George Jones heard the song Billy Sherrill was so sure about and wanted nothing to do with it. In his autobiography, I Lived To Tell It All, he remembered exactly ...

Ella Langley Toasts ‘365 Days of Madness’ for ‘Choosin’ Texas,’ the 45-Minute Song That Outran Mariah Carey

It took Ella Langley and three co-writers 45 minutes to write “Choosin’ Texas.” A year after the song came out, she is still trying to measure what those 45 minutes ...