He may bear a rather striking resemblance to the famous country singer, but it took a long time for Marty Edwards to come around to the idea of being a Kenny Rogers impersonator.
Instead he brushed off the suggestion several times before including one of Rogers' hits at a charity fundraiser he had organised.
The crowds loved it and demanded repeat performances and now, many years on, the American performer has forged a career out of it.
It's allowed him to travel the world and soon it will bring him to Rotorua as part of the Kings of Country show - a tribute to country music's finest. It also features the music of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.
Edwards said he was looking forward to travelling to New Zealand, a country he had not visited.
"I know it's a little bit further south than Australia so a little cooler, it has lots of sheep and a lot of New Zealanders are called Kiwis."
Edwards said there was more to being an impersonator than simply looking like the star in question.
He said while that was important, giving an authentic performance and nailing the mannerisms were also crucial.
It meant hours spent studying Rogers' shows and perfecting his on-stage quirks, right down to the way he held and dropped the microphone at certain times.
Edwards reckons the public-relations aspect is huge too. He often sticks around after the show meeting as many people as he can.
He even encouraged those heading along to the Rotorua performance to stick around and give him a Kiwi hello afterwards: "Each and every one of us feel so blessed to be able to do this."
Kings of Country will take place at Rotorua's Civic Theatre on Thursday, June 12. Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.co.nz or by phoning 0800 111 999.