Kenny Rogers: Up close and personal

With one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices in the music business, country singer Kenny Rogers has sold more than 100 million albums in his storied career, now in its sixth decade.

His new album, "Water & Bridges," was released earlier this week and includes the single, "I Can't Unlove You," which Rogers performed Friday (video) on The Early Show.

Sitting down for an interview with co-anchor Rene Syler, Rogers, 67, described what's been keeping him so busy. "I have two identical twin boys that are 21 months old," he said. "That's somewhat consumed my life in the last two or three years."

He also spoke about his philosophy as a singer, which is that when you have a good song, you should keep it simple, without the bells and whistles that many musicians use to jazz up their work. "If you want people to know what your message is, just sing it," he told Syler. "I've always said music should make you laugh, make you cry or make you think."

His new album also includes some life messages "about choices you make when you are young that you pay for when you are older," Rogers said, though growing older for this well-loved superstar has brought unexpected joy in the form of his two active little boys. "This is not how I had envisioned the last years of my life, but it is the greatest gift that anyone could have given me. Because when music is gone, you need something truly special to fill that void and there's no question these boys can do that."