Marty Edwards is Kinda Kenny

“I believe if you give with the expectation of getting nothing back, you get it back ten-fold,” says Marty Edwards of Marty Edwards & the Revival. In Marty’s case, one small benefit concert led to the career of a lifetime as Kinda Kenny – impersonating country music superstar Kenny Rogers.

Kenny Rogers has been thrilling audiences since the 1960s, with an impressive array of hit songs, awards, and charismatic performances. In turn, Marty has been entertaining since the 1970s, and has been a member of many bands, including three-piece country band Canadian Goose in Oakville, Ontario. He studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto to learn vocal training, most of which has stuck with him as he’s built his career.

“In younger years, before the Kenny shows, I used to yell for 10-15 minutes to get that raspy voice,” laughs Marty.

He’s lived in BC since the early ’90s, and has now settled in Peachland. In his mid-20s, post-divorce and with a young daughter in tow, Marty went to university and pursued a “sensible” career in computer programming. It wasn’t long, however, before music called him back to the stage permanently. After he met his second wife – to whom he is happily married – soft-hearted Marty wrote her a song, which led to a full album. While recording that first album, his producer, James Bowers, noted how much he resembled Rogers.

“James asked me if I’d ever thought about doing a Kenny Rogers tribute or impersonation,” says Marty. “I’d always liked his music, and was getting told all the time that I looked so much like him.”

He didn’t think much of the constant comparisons until he and his friends put together a benefit concert for abused children. Meant to simply be a single benefit concert for a cause close to his heart, it soon led to more.

“I had a pretty good childhood, but one of the things that always used to affect me emotionally was hearing about kids being abused,” he says. “I wanted to be able to do something, so we put together that benefit concert called ‘Put a Little Love in Your Heart.’”

For the first concert, a number of people donated performances, and Marty and his band performed some covers and original tracks, including three of Rogers’ best-known songs. The effect was complemented with a sparkly Kenny-esque coat, fashioned by Marty’s mother.

Every penny raised was donated to the cause, but little did Marty know his act of philanthropy would open the door to a completely different life than he had envisioned. His Kenny Rogers performances went over so well that what was originally meant to be a one-time event turned into multiple sold-out shows, launching his career as Kinda Kenny, the world’s No. 1 Kenny Rogers impersonator.

Marty now spends much of the year travelling worldwide as a soloist for Kinda Kenny, and as part of a duo for the “Kenny and Dolly” tours, featuring renowned Dolly Parton impersonator Wendy T.

“That little performance has turned into quite the career for me; it’s taken me around the world and I’ve sort of been living the dream,” he says.

Marty has been performing as Kinda Kenny for over 20 years, so he no longer gets nervous, but he remembers doing his first Kenny Rogers performance and how anxious he felt:

“As part of a band you have a certain anonymity and you can hide behind your guitar a little bit,” he says. “When I did my very first Kenny Rogers performance, it was just me and a microphone. It was nerve-wracking. But after about a year and a half, I got over the nerves and was able to really enjoy the spotlight and the freedom of being able to move anywhere on stage.”

“I realized that when I go out there, I become a bit of an actor. I feel like Marty couldn’t do that, but Kenny could. It’s really helped me get over my introversion,” he says.

Not only does he have the appearance of Rogers, he’s got the gravelly voice, the charming good looks, and the swagger.

“Marty looks more like him [Kenny] than he [Kenny] does,” says Carolyn Cooke of the *Surrey Now Newspaper*.

It’s no wonder audiences are mesmerized by Marty’s performance, and people on the street often do a double take, wondering if he is the real deal. He’s often treated like the superstar and is especially popular in Australia and Malaysia. In fact, Marty experiences the full star treatment when he performs overseas, including five-star hotels, an entire staff and huge press conferences.

“It’s kind of funny because from my experience being in bands before, I know that Kenny Rogers would not have been treated any better,” says Marty, adding, “I’ve been so blessed to be able to do this with my life. I feel so lucky.”

Impersonation is a craft like any other, with three key characteristics: you’ve got to look like them and sound like them. “Once people get past the image, they start to listen,” he says. And you’ve got to master the nuances, from the swagger, to the way they hold the mic.

Rogers is one of those performers who has plenty of charm, so apart from just looking and sounding like him, Marty really had to work to perfect the confidence Rogers exudes on stage. He’s actually perfected it to the point that Rogers just *had* to meet him.

Marty was in Billings, Montana to perform his act at a street festival, and Rogers had a concert booked at the arena that same day for the Goldwing Road Riders Association Rally — a huge event with 10,000 to 15,000 people in attendance. As Marty went about his day, fielding plenty of double-takes and requests for autographs, Rogers and his manager were dining at a nearby steakhouse.

Rogers got wind of what was happening and invited Marty to come backstage after the show. They chatted for a bit, took a photo, and when they parted, Rogers famously told Marty, “Now, don’t go and get me into any trouble.” Marty takes that to heart to this day, always showing Kenny in a good light.

Ten years later, Marty was booked at the same arena to perform as Kinda Kenny, with the same dressing room that Rogers had. On another occasion, a Vegas venue booked Marty for a performance after learning that Rogers was too far above their entertainment budget. When the promoter called Rogers’ people to confirm it would be okay to sub Marty for the legend, they came back saying “that’s fine, Marty is Kenny’s favourite!”

Performing is Marty’s passion, and he loves being able to evoke emotional reactions from the audience by joking as well as tugging on heartstrings. “I like to provide an escape,” he says.

He remembers one audience member who was out for the first time since losing her husband the year before. She told Marty his performance helped bring her out of her grief for a little while. That memory – and so many others – have stayed with Marty over the years.

He’s also made countless friends through his life in music; many who started as audience members. “[The performance] impacted them so much that they wanted to take the time to chat with me, and they become more friends than fans,” he says.

Then, he says with a chuckle, there was the time a groom-to-be and first-responder firefighter asked Marty to sing Rogers’ hit song “Lady” at his wedding. His future wife was a huge Rogers fan. Marty agreed. As arranged, he snuck in and began to sing as the happy couple were signing their registry. It was a complete surprise for the bride, who was beyond thrilled.

“The reaction from his wife was really over the top, it was unbelievable. It went over so well, and I felt kinda bad for him because I later saw their wedding pictures and I’m in pretty much every one of them!” Marty says with a laugh.

“Lady” is also Marty’s favourite Rogers’ song. “If I had to pick just one, I think it’d probably be “Lady.” I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better song as a tribute to your lady. It’s so romantic.”

He can even convert those who don’t even *like* country music. “Success is when I finish a show, and someone comes up afterwards and says, ‘I came out here tonight and I wasn’t a real Kenny Rogers fan, but I’m leaving here as a Marty Edwards fan. Great job!’”

Not only does Marty channel his talents to bring happiness to audiences, he uses his ability to perform as a means of educating people about another cause near to his heart. In early January 2016, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The news shook him to his core, and he is now passionate about promoting awareness for early detection.

“Before seeing the specialist, I was left with the impression that there was a good chance I wouldn’t be making it through,” he says. “I essentially came home, and started putting my affairs in order.”

Top of mind was whether he’d be able to perform again. When he discussed it with his doctor, he was asked: “well, where do you sing from?”
Because Marty underwent surgery, he did have to take a break from touring, cancelling both the Kinda Kenny shows and the Marty & the Revival gigs. He wasn’t sure what was next, or if he’d be well enough to perform again. “I thought I was done,” he says.

He wasn’t. The surgery was successful and aside from a few dietary restrictions, Marty is back to his old self. Now, he’s using his experience as inspiration to promote awareness of the disease and for participating in the FIT test, a non-invasive screening procedure to test for early signs of cancer.

After a few months spent recovering, Marty had a short four-city tour in BC. Partial proceeds from ticket sales of those shows were donated to the Canadian Cancer Society, earmarked for colon cancer research. He’s completely candid about his experience, now seeing himself as an advocate for promoting early detection.

“I almost didn’t go for the colonoscopy, and I put it off years before, so who knows what a difference that made. I might not be here today,” he says. “I remember there were so many people in the waiting room — it’s amazing how many people this disease touches in one way or another.”

In addition to getting back to touring internationally, Marty is launching an awareness campaign. He will be shooting a video about the importance of talking to a doctor and getting checked.

“That’s what will save lives,” he says. “I see my role as getting that message out, so I make sure that people know why I’m still out there. It’s like with child abuse, no one likes to talk about it, and no one wants to be seen as a part of that.”

Marty’s mission to educate others also stems from learning that close friends faced the same diagnosis – and never said a word – too embarrassed to confide in anyone.

This year, Marty will resume his annual six-week tour across Australia, and visit England, Ireland, Malaysia, the US and Canada, including 20 shows in BC. When he isn’t performing, he’s promoting.

“I’m still following my dream,” he says. “I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do and, to be honest, not seeing any signs of slowing down.”

Snapshot with Marty Edwards

If you were to meet your 20-year-old self, what advice would you give him?
Work for the government for 20 years so you have a pension and medical coverage, and then do what you really want to do. It’s worked out for me, but I’d be a lot smarter than what I was. There was one band I was with, we had an opportunity with a record company, but the management company dragged their feet and by the time we got the rights to the song back, the window of opportunity had closed.

Who or what has influenced you the most? And why?
I think early in my life – listening to music before I was playing music – I’d have to say Roy Orbison. His loneliness and his songs of heartbreak impacted me as a young man. I was very shy, very self-conscious, not a ladies’ man by any stretch of the imagination. As an adolescent, I went out on my own. I remember at 18 or 19, sitting in an empty apartment with my record player, playing an LP, listening and singing along in a dark apartment. Singing along with that, I think it helped develop my vocal range.

What does courage mean to you?
Courage to me is facing something you don’t really want to face. For me, I’ve never thought of myself as being very courageous, but I think facing one’s fears — performing — and particularly dealing with cancer.
I hope that telling my story and making audiences aware at shows, it gives them the courage to take the step to talk to their doctor despite the fear of finding out there is something there.

What does success mean to you?
You can measure success in a number of different ways. For me it’s not about the money, it’s about your craft. I feel successful when I’m able to evoke emotion and a reaction from the audience. I also feel successful when I’m able to raise awareness for a cause through my performances.

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