Kenny Rogers Has An Old Friend To Thank For ‘You Can’t Make Old Friends’

(AP) - Kenny Rogers has an old friend to thank for "You Can't Make Old Friends," and it isn't Dolly Parton.

Rogers says he played a festival in California and a man introduced himself as Ryan King, son of William King of The Commodores. Rogers remembered King as a kid playing with his son at his house, and King said he had recently told his friends, "You can't make old friends."

Rogers told that story the next day to Don Schlitz, who wrote "The Gambler" for Rogers. Schlitz asked if he could use that for a song and came up with something the next day. Schlitz offered Rogers a songwriting credit for coming up with that title but Rogers said King should get it.

Parton sings that song with Rogers on his new album of the same name. It's out this week.