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AN ERUPTION of applause yesterday welcomed international country music superstar Kenny Rogers to his last ever Tasmanian show.
The Country Club Tasmania crowd of about 4000 people, many sunburned and jovial, were also treated to the hits of support acts Beccy Cole, Adam Harvey and Amber Lawrence.
The opening song Love or Something Like It had die-hard fans chanting along with the 76-year-old star, who recalled fond memories of Launceston.
‘‘This is the last time I will come to Tasmania, well all right, I will come down on vacation,’’ Rogers said.
‘‘I’m trying to come down to every place I’ve been that I’ve enjoyed — especially where the people are nice.’’
Country music fans Alex Olejniczak and Nikki Ellis said the singer had not been to Tasmania since 1986.
‘‘It’s fantastic that he’s come back to Tassie,’’ Ms Olejniczak said.
‘‘It’s good to have Amber Lawrence open as well — she won the Golden Guitar award at Tamworth — and Beccy Cole was amazing, very entertaining.’’
Rogers said the crowd appeared to be divided between two age groups.
‘‘Those who were born in the ‘80s and had their parents force my music on them as a form of child abuse,’’ he joked.
‘‘And those who were born in the 1960s and can’t remember [my music].’’
A deafening chorus let fly from the crowd as Rogers delivered one of his best-known hits — The Gambler.
Regional Touring’s Duane McDonald said it was pleasing to see about 8000 people pack out the venue during the weekend. On Saturday, a sell-out crowd filled the lawns of Country Club Tasmania for the Red Hot Summer Tour concert which featured five bands including Boom Crash Opera, James Reyne and Hoodoo Gurus.
Earlier that day Australian country music stars Gina Jeffreys and Rod McCormack performed to more than 200 people at the Australian-Italian Club.