Audio of jimmy rogers country singer

James Charles Rodgers September 8, — May 26, was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late s.

Jimmie rodgers country singer

Widely regarded as the " Father of Country Music ", he is best known for his distinctive yodeling. He has been cited as an inspiration by many artists, and he has been inducted into multiple halls of fame. During his early childhood the family moved according to the needs of his father's employment, or Rodgers' own poor health. As a teenager he was musically influenced by the diverse vaudeville shows that he often attended.

At the age of 13 he won a local singing contest, and then traveled through the Southern United States with a medicine show. After his father took him back home to Meridian, Rodgers dropped out of school and joined the Mobile and Ohio Railroad , beginning as a waterboy on his father's gang; he later performed other functions on the railroad, eventually becoming a brakeman.

During his time working with different railroad companies, the singer further developed his musical style; he was influenced by the gandy dancers and their impromptu blues performances. Rodgers was diagnosed with tuberculosis in By , as a result of his declining health, he stopped working for the railroad and decided to focus on his music career.

Rodgers joined the Tenneva Ramblers band in , which at the time was working at a radio station. After the band was fired from its spot, it worked in different resorts in the Blue Ridge Mountains. During what later became known as the Bristol sessions , Rodgers recorded solo, having been deserted by his band after a disagreement.

A second session with Rodgers was later arranged in Camden, New Jersey , at the singer's own insistence; that session produced " Blue Yodel No. The song became a success, propelling Rodgers to national fame and beginning his recording career with the label, during which he produced over songs. After the war his maternal grandfather settled in Meridian, Mississippi , while his paternal grandfather settled around Geiger, Alabama.

He eventually became a foreman, and in he married Eliza Bozeman.