Jimmie Rodgers American country singer Date of Birth: 08.09.1897 Country: USA

1. Biography of Jimmy Rodgers
2. Early Life and Career
3. Rise to Fame
4. Later Years and Death

Biography of Jimmy Rodgers

James Charles Rodgers, also known as Jimmy Rodgers, was an American country singer and one of the pioneers of the genre. He was born on September 8, 1897, in Meridian, Mississippi or Geiger, Alabama, depending on the documents he signed.

Early Life and Career

Jimmy's mother passed away when he was a young boy, and he spent the next five years living with relatives. Eventually, he returned home to live with his father and stepmother. From a young age, Jimmy enjoyed performing in front of audiences and had a strong desire to travel. At thirteen, he ran away twice with traveling performers, but his father brought him back home both times.

Jimmy's father got him his first job on the railroad, and he later became a conductor on the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad. In 1924, at the age of 27, Jimmy contracted tuberculosis, which temporarily halted his railroad career but gave him an unexpected opportunity in the entertainment industry.

Rise to Fame

Jimmy organized a traveling show and performed in the Southeastern states until a cyclone destroyed his tent. He then worked as a conductor in Miami, Florida, but his illness prevented him from working full time. He moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he worked as a switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad for about a year before returning to Meridian in early 1927 with his wife and daughter.

In April 1927, Jimmy went to Asheville, North Carolina, where he made his first radio appearance. A few months later, he invited a group called the "Tenneva Ramblers" from Bristol, Tennessee, to join him on his weekly radio show, "The Jimmie Rodgers Entertainers." In July of the same year, the group found out about an audition being held by the "Victor Talking Machine Company" representative in Bristol. However, the band had a disagreement, and Jimmy showed up alone on the audition day. The resulting recording, for which he received one hundred dollars, was released in the fall and garnered some attention.

Jimmy traveled to New York in November and recorded several more songs, which launched him into stardom. Over the next two years, nearly half a million copies of his records were sold, and he became known for his energetic performances and collaborations with famous musicians of the time, including Louis Armstrong.

Later Years and Death

In August 1932, Jimmy made his last recordings as his tuberculosis worsened. He stopped touring but continued to host a weekly radio show in San Antonio, Texas, where he moved after his song "T for Texas" became a hit. The warm and dry climate of Texas was chosen partly for his health.

Despite the income from his recordings, Jimmy's constant work and performances made it difficult for him to overcome tuberculosis. The Great Depression caused many musicians to stop making on-location recordings, so Jimmy traveled to New York for several sessions in May 1933. During the last session on May 24, he was so weakened that he rested on a cot in the studio between recordings. Two days later, on May 26, 1933, Jimmy Rodgers passed away at the age of 35 from a pulmonary hemorrhage in the Taft Hotel in New York City.