Jimmie Rodgers
James Charles Rodgers ((1897-09-08)September 8, 1897 – (1933-05-26)May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmic yodeling. Rodgers was known as "The Singing Brakeman" and "America's Blue Yodeler". He has been cited as an inspiration by many artists, and he has been inducted into multiple halls of fame. Originally from Meridian, Mississippi, Rodgers was the son of a railroad worker. 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, Rodgers 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, starting as a waterboy. He eventually became a brakeman, among performing other functions. 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 1924. By 1927, he stopped working for the railroad as a result of his health and decided to focus on his music career. In 1927, Rodgers joined the Tenneva Ramblers band, who at the time were working at a radio station. After the band was fired from their spot, they worked in different resorts in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There, Rodgers became aware of the field recordings that Victor Talking Machine Company's engineer Ralph Peer was to undertake in Bristol, Tennessee. During what later became known as the Bristol sessions, Rodgers recorded solo, as he was 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. 1 (T for Texas)". The song became a success, propelling Rodgers to national fame and beginning his recording career with the label, during which he produced over 100 songs. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 8, 1897 (Meridian), Died May 26, 1933 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1921 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal, songwriter, composer, lyricist, guitar, arranger, speaker, ukulele, author
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-125 of 187 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-69458 | 10-in. | 6/17/1931 | Southern Cannon-ball | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, songwriter, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BVE-70645 | 10-in. | 2/2/1932 | Roll along Kentucky moon | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-70646 | 10-in. | 2/3/1932 | Hobo's meditation | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | vocalist, tenor vocal, composer | |
Victor | BVE-70647 | 10-in. | 2/4/1932 | My time ain't long | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | vocalist, tenor vocal, songwriter | |
Victor | BVE-70648 | 10-in. | 2/4/1932 | Ninety-nine year blues | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with bass and 3 guitars | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar, songwriter | |
Victor | BVE-70649 | 10-in. | 2/5/1932 | Down the old road to home | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar, songwriter | |
Victor | BVE-70650 | 10-in. | 2/6/1932 | Blue yodel no. 10 | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, songwriter, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-73324 | 10-in. | 8/29/1932 | In the hills of Tennessee | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BS-73325 | 10-in. | 8/29/1932 | Prairie lullaby | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | vocalist, tenor vocal, composer | |
Victor | BS-73326 | 10-in. | 8/29/1932 | Miss the Mississippi and you | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BS-73327 | 10-in. | 8/29/1932 | Sweet mama hurry home or I'll be gone | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | vocalist, tenor vocal, songwriter | |
Victor | BS-76138 | 10-in. | 5/17/1933 | Blue yodel no. 12 | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist | |
Victor | BS-76139 | 10-in. | 5/17/1933 | Dreaming with tears in my eyes | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar, composer | |
Victor | BS-76140 | 10-in. | 5/17/1933 | The cow hand's last ride | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist | |
Victor | BS-76141 | 10-in. | 5/17/1933 | I'm free (From the chain gang now) | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-76151 | 10-in. | 5/18/1933 | Yodeling my way back home | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | lyricist, vocalist, tenor vocal, composer, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-76160 | 10-in. | 5/18/1933 | Jimmie Rodgers' last blue yodel | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer | |
Victor | BS-76191 | 10-in. | 5/20/1933 | The yodeling ranger | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | songwriter, vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-76192 | 10-in. | 5/20/1933 | Old pal of my heart | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | songwriter, vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BS-76327 | 10-in. | 5/24/1933 | Old love letters (Bring memories of you) | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars | songwriter, vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BS-76328 | 10-in. | 5/24/1933 | Mississippi Delta blues | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars | vocalist, tenor vocal, songwriter | |
Victor | BS-76331 | 10-in. | 5/24/1933 | Somewhere down below the Dixon Line | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars | songwriter, vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BS-76332 | 10-in. | 5/24/1933 | Years ago | Jimmie Rodgers | Male vocal solo, with guitar | songwriter, vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, guitar | |
Victor | BVE-87720 | 10-in. | 1/27/1935 | The wind swept desert | Bill Boyd ; Cowboy Ramblers | Male vocal duet, with string band | composer | |
Victor | BS-100341 | 10-in. | 4/4/1936 | In the jailhouse now | Billy Mitchell | Male vocal solo, with piano | composer, lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rodgers, Jimmie," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105649.
Rodgers, Jimmie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105649.
"Rodgers, Jimmie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Jimmie Rodgers
Discogs: Jimmie Rodgers
Allmusic: Jimmie Rodgers
Grove: Jimmie Rodgers
IMDb: Jimmie Rodgers
Britannica: Jimmie Rodgers
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Rodgers, Jimmie, 1897-1933 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87824037
Wikidata: Jimmie Rodgers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q366358
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/74038753
MusicBrainz: Jimmie Rodgers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/394492c0-cecf-40a8-b676-0e5706317fab
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