1) Jimmi… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist by the name 'Jimmie Rodgers'.
1) Jimmie Rodgers (James Charles Rodgers, September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American country singer in the early 20th century, known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling. Among the first country music superstars and pioneers, Rodgers was also known as "The Singing Brakeman", "The Blue Yodeler", and "The Father of Country Music". The Bristol sessions are considered the "Big Bang" of modern country music. They were held in 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee by Victor Talking Machine Company company producer Ralph Peer. They marked the commercial debut of Jimmie Rodgers.
Rodgers' traditional birthplace is usually given as Meridian, Mississippi; however, in documents signed by Rodgers later in life, his birthplace was listed as Geiger, Alabama, the home of his paternal grandparents. Historians who have researched the circumstances of that document, however, including Nolan Porterfield and Barry Mazor, continue to identify Pine Springs, Mississippi, just north of Meridian, as his genuine birthplace. Rodgers' mother died when he was about six or seven years old, and Rodgers, the youngest of three sons, spent the next few years living with various relatives in southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama, near Geiger. In the 1900 Census for Daleville, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, Jimmie's mother, Eliza [Bozeman] Rodgers, was listed as already having had seven children, with four of them still living at that date. Jimmie ["James" in the Census] was next to the youngest at that time, and was probably born sixth of the total of seven children. He eventually returned home to live with his father, Aaron Rodgers, a Maintenance-of-Way foreman on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, who had settled with a new wife in Meridian.
Rodgers' affinity for entertaining came at an early age, and the lure of the road was irresistible to him. By age 13, he had twice organized and begun traveling shows, only to be brought home by his father. His father found Rodgers his first job working on the railroad as a water boy. Here he was further taught to pick and strum by rail workers and hobos. As a water boy, he would have been exposed to the work chants of the African American railroad workers known as gandy dancers. A few years later, he became a brakeman on the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, a position formerly secured by his oldest brother, Walter, a conductor on the line running between Meridian and New Orleans.
In 1924 at age 27, Rodgers contracted tuberculosis. The disease temporarily ended his railroad career, but at the same time gave him the chance to get back to the entertainment industry. He organized a traveling road show and performed across the Southeastern United States until, once again, he was forced home after a cyclone destroyed his tent. He returned to railroad work as a brakeman in Miami, Florida, but eventually his illness cost him his job. He relocated to Tucson, Arizona and was employed as a switchman by the Southern Pacific Railroad. He kept the job for less than a year, and the Rodgers family (which by then included wife Carrie and daughter Anita) settled back in Meridian in early 1927.
Rodgers decided to travel to Asheville, North Carolina, later that same year. On April 18, at 9:30 p.m., Jimmie, and Otis Kuykendall performed for the first time on WWNC, Asheville’s first radio station. A few months later Rodgers recruited a group from Bristol, Tennessee called the Tenneva Ramblers and secured a weekly slot on the station listed as "The Jimmie Rodgers Entertainers."
In late July 1927, Rodgers' bandmates learned that Ralph Peer, a representative of the Victor Talking Machine Company, was coming to Bristol to hold an audition for local musicians. Rodgers and the group arrived in Bristol on August 3, 1927, and auditioned for Peer in an empty warehouse. Peer agreed to record them the next day. That night, as the band discussed how they would be billed on the record, an argument ensued, the band broke up, and Rodgers arrived at the recording session the next morning alone. However, in a videotaped interview, Claude Grant of the Tenneva Ramblers gave a totally different reason for the band's breakup. Rodgers had taken some guitars on consignment. He sold them but did not pay back the music stores which supplied the guitars. Grant said that the band broke up because they did not agree with that. On Wednesday, August 4, 1927 Jimmie Rodgers completed his first session for Victor. It lasted from 2:00 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. and yielded two songs: "The Soldier's Sweetheart" and "Sleep, Baby, Sleep". For the test recordings, Rodgers received $100.
The recordings were released on October 7 earning modest success. In November, Rodgers, determined more than ever to make it in entertainment, headed to New York City in an effort to arrange another session with Peer. Peer agreed to record him again, and the two met in Philadelphia before traveling to Camden, New Jersey, to the Victor studios. Four songs made it out of this session, including "Blue Yodel", better known as "T for Texas". In the next two years, this recording sold nearly half a million copies, rocketing Rodgers into stardom. After this, he got to determine when Peer and Victor would record him, and he sold out shows whenever and wherever he played.
Over the next few years, Rodgers was very busy. He did a movie short for Columbia Pictures, The Singing Brakeman (this is available on the DVD and VHS compilation "Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early Rural & Popular Music From Rare Original Film Masters 1928-35" and on YouTube), and made various recordings across the country. He toured with humorist Will Rogers as part of a Red Cross tour across the Midwest. On July 16, 1930, he recorded "Blue Yodel No. 9" with Louis Armstrong on trumpet and his wife Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano.
A song written by Clayton McMichen and recorded as “Prohibition Has Done Me Wrong” was not issued, possibly because of copyright conflicts with Columbia. According to Juanita McMichen Lynch, Peer thought it was "too controversial for the times." The master was put aside and then accidentally lost.
Rodgers' next-to-last recordings were made in August 1932 in Camden, and it was clear that the tuberculosis was getting the better of him. He had given up touring by that time, but did have a weekly radio show in San Antonio, Texas, where he had relocated when "T for Texas" became a hit. Earnings from his recordings enabled Rodgers to build a large house for his family in Kerrville, Texas, a location chosen partly for health reasons. But it was not in Rodgers' make-up to stay still, and his constant touring and recording schedule only hurt his chances of recovering from TB.
With the country in the grip of the Depression, the practice of making field recordings was quickly fading, so in May 1933, Rodgers traveled again to New York City for a group of sessions beginning May 17, 1933. He started these sessions recording alone and completed four songs on the first day. When he returned to the studio after a day's rest, he had to record sitting down and soon retired to his hotel in hopes of regaining enough energy to finish the songs he had been rehearsing. The recording engineer hired two session musicians to help Rodgers when he came back to the studio a few days later. Together they recorded a few songs, including "Mississippi Delta Blues". For his last song of the session, however, Jimmie chose to perform alone, and as a matching bookend to his career, recorded "Years Ago" by himself.
During his last recording session in New York City on May 24, 1933, after years of fighting the tuberculosis, Rodgers was so weakened that he needed to rest on a cot between songs. Jimmie Rodgers died two days later on May 26, 1933 from a pulmonary hemorrhage while staying at the Taft Hotel; he was only 35 years old.
When the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1961, Rodgers was one of the first three (the others were music publisher and songwriter Fred Rose and singer-songwriter Hank Williams) to be inducted. Rodgers was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and, as an early influence, to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. "Blue Yodel No. 9" was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Rodgers was ranked No. 33 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003.
Since 1953, Meridian's Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival has been held annually during May to honor the anniversary of Rodgers' death. The first festival was on May 26, 1953.
Both Gene Autry and future Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis (author of "You Are My Sunshine") began their careers as Jimmie Rodgers copyists, and Merle Haggard, Hank Snow, and Lefty Frizzell later did tribute albums. In 1997 Bob Dylan put together a tribute compilation of major artists covering Rodgers' songs, "The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers, A Tribute" (Sony – ASIN: B000002BLD). The artists included Bono, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jerry Garcia, Dickey Betts, Dwight Yoakam, Aaron Neville, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson and others. Dylan had earlier once remarked, "The songs were different than the norm. They had more of an individual nature and an elevated conscience... I was drawn to their power."
In 1969, country singer Merle Haggard released Same Train, A Different Time: Merle Haggard Sings The Great Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers. Haggard also covered "No Hard Times" and "T.B. Blues" on his best-selling live albums "Okie From Muskogee" (1969) and "Fightin' Side of Me" (1970). "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)" was covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd (sometimes announced as "(Gimme A) T For Texas (T For Tennessee)" later on) on their live album One More from the Road. Ronnie has also been quoted from a July 13, 1977 concert intermission in Asbury Park, New Jersey as saying that they've "always been interested in old country music" like Jimmie Rodgers and Merle Haggard before launching into playing "T For Texas".[10] Lynyrd Skynyrd has also named both Haggard and Rodgers in their song "Railroad Song" ("I'm going to ride this train, Lord, until I find out, what Jimmie Rodgers and The Hag was all about") Tompall Glaser has also covered a version that was included on country music's first million-selling album, Wanted! The Outlaws.
On May 24, 1978, the United States Postal Service issued a 13-cent commemorative stamp honoring Rodgers, the first in its long-running Performing Arts Series. The stamp was designed by Jim Sharpe (who did several others in this series), who depicted him with brakeman's outfit and guitar, giving his "two thumbs up", along with a locomotive in silhouette in the background.
Rodgers' legacy and influence is not limited to country music. The 2009 book "Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: How America's Original Roots Music Hero Changed the Pop Sounds of a Century" tracks Rodgers influence through a broad range of musical genres, internationally. He was influential to Ozark poet Frank Stanford, who composed a series of "blue yodel" poems, and a number of later blues artists. Rodgers was one of the biggest stars of American music between 1927 and 1933, arguably doing more to popularize blues than any other performer of his time.[8] Rodgers influenced many later blues artists, among them Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, and Chester Arthur Burnett, better known as Howlin' Wolf. Jimmie Rodgers was Wolf's childhood idol. Wolf tried to emulate Rodgers's yodel, but found that his efforts sounded more like a growl or a howl. "I couldn't do no yodelin'," Barry Gifford quoted him as saying in Rolling Stone, "so I turned to howlin'. And it's done me just fine."
Rodgers' influence can also be heard in artists including Tommy Johnson, the Mississippi Sheiks, and Mississippi John Hurt, whose "Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me" is based on Rodgers’ hit "Waiting On A Train". Elvis Presley has also been quoted as mentioning Jimmie Rodgers as an important influence and stating that he was a big fan. Jerry Lee Lewis listed Rodgers as a major stylist and covered many of his songs. Moon Mullican, Tommy Duncan and many other western swing singers also were influenced by him. Gene Autry's earlier material largely copied Rodgers' blues records.
The 1982 film, Honkytonk Man, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood was loosely based on Rodgers' life.
In "Cleaning Windows," Van Morrison sings about listening to Rodgers, but this is more likely to refer to Jimmy Rogers, the blues singer as Morrison is singing about other blues singers in the same song, and does not mention any other Country and Western singers.
In the book, Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music, the song "T.B. Blues" is presented as one the first truly autobiographical songs.
On May 28, 2010, Slim Bryant, the last surviving singer to have made a recording with Rodgers, died at the age of 101. They recorded Bryant's song "Mother, the Queen of My Heart" in 1932. The Union, a collaborative album between Elton John and Leon Russell, featured a song entitled "Jimmie Rodgers' Dream", which was a tribute to Rodgers.
In May 2010, a second marker, on the Mississippi Country Music Trail, was erected near Rodgers' gravesite, marking his role as The Father of Country Music.
In 2013, Rodgers was posthumously inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
2) James Frederick "Jimmie" Rodgers is also an American pop/rock & roll singer, incidentally born September 18, 1933 (year of death of the country musician above) in Camas, Washington, United States. He had number of hits in the 1950's, including versions of "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine", "Honeycomb","Oh Oh I'm Fallin' In Love Again", Woman from Liberia" and, particularly in the UK "English Country Garden".
Rodgers was taught music by his mother, learned to play the piano and guitar, and joined a band called "The Melodies" started by violinist Phil Clark, while he served in the United States Air Force in Korea.
The Fox and the Goose
Jimmie Rodgers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Prayed to the moon a-gonna give him light
He had many long miles to go that night
Before he a-reached that town oh town oh town
He had many long miles to go that night
Before he reached that town oh
Well the fox he came to a great big pen
He said one of you'se is gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town oh town oh town oh
One one of you'se is gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town oh
Well he grabbed a grey goose by the neck
Throwed a duck up across his back
And he did not mind the quack quack quack
And the legs all dangling down oh down oh down oh
No he did not mind the quack quack quack
And the legs all dangling down oh
Well old mother flipper flopper jumped out of bed
Threw back the shutter and stuck out her head
Yelled john john john well the grey goose is gone
And the fox runs away from the town oh town oh town oh
John john john the grey goose he's a-gone
And the fox runs away from the town oh
Well old john went up to the top of the hill
He blew his horn both load and shrill
And the fox said I better hurry up with my kill
There gonna soon be on my trail oh trail oh trail oh
Well the fox said I better hurry up with my kill
There gonna soon be on my trail oh
Well the fox he came to his cozy den
There sat the little ones eight nine ten
Said pop pop pop you better go back again
Cos it must be a mighty fine town oh town oh town oh
Pop pop pop you better go back again
Cos it must be a mighty fine town oh
Well the fox and his wife without any strife
Cut up the goose with a fork and a knife
And they never never had such a feast in their life
And the little ones chewed on a bone oh bone oh bone oh
No they never never had such a feast in their life
And the little ones chewed on a bone
The song "The Fox and the Goose" by Jimmie Rodgers tells a story about a fox who goes on a journey one windy night. He comes across a pen where ducks and geese are kept and demands that one of them grease his chin before he leaves the town. He manages to capture a grey goose and throws a duck on his back before heading back to his den, despite the commotion caused by his actions.
The song is believed to be based on a traditional English folk song that was popular in the 19th century. It is a narrative ballad, which typically tells a story in a song format. The song's lyrics have been the subject of interpretation, with some suggesting that it represents the struggle between the working class and the bourgeoisie.
The song has been covered by several artists, including Burl Ives, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Bob Dylan, among others. It was also parodied in the Looney Tunes short "The Foxy Duckling" in 1947.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the fox went out upon a windy night
The story begins on a windy night where the singer, a fox, sets out on a journey with a goal in mind.
Prayed to the moon a-gonna give him light
The fox, being in need of light on his journey, reverentially prayed to the moon to guide and aid him in his venture.
He had many long miles to go that night
The fox's journey was going to be a long and arduous one, as he had many miles to cover before he could reach his destination.
Before he a-reached that town oh town oh town
The fox's final destination was a town, which he had to reach despite all the obstacles he may face in his journey.
Well the fox he came to a great big pen
The fox encountered a large pen where ducks and geese were kept, and where he had an opportunity to obtain a meal.
Where the ducks and the geese were kept there in
The large pen contained ducks and geese which the fox could potentially obtain as food for himself or his family.
He said one of you'se is gonna grease my chin
The fox was threatening the animals in the pen, saying that one of them would end up being his meal or that he would harm them if they didn't comply.
Before I leave this town oh town oh town oh
The fox demanded that his needs be fulfilled before he could continue his journey towards the town he intended to reach.
Well he grabbed a grey goose by the neck
The fox chose a grey goose as his meal, seizing it by the neck in order to kill it and consume it.
Throwed a duck up across his back
The fox threw a duck over his back, carrying it along with him to provide additional sustenance.
And he did not mind the quack quack quack
Despite the noises the goose and duck made, the fox remained undeterred and continued on his path.
And the legs all dangling down oh down oh down oh
The prey's legs were left dangling as the fox carried the goose and the duck towards his destination.
Well old mother flipper flopper jumped out of bed
The mother of the geese and ducks noticed the disappearance of the grey goose and was startled by the event.
Threw back the shutter and stuck out her head
The mother opened a shutter to investigate what had occurred and saw that the goose was taken by the fox.
Yelled john john john well the grey goose is gone
The mother alerted John, a member of their community, about the goose's disappearance and the danger the fox posed to them.
And the fox runs away from the town oh town oh town oh
The fox made a hasty escape from the scene, worried about being caught by the community of ducks and geese.
Well old john went up to the top of the hill
In order to warn everyone and protect them from further harm, John climbed a hill to sound the alarm.
He blew his horn both load and shrill
John used a loud and sharp instrument to alert the community of the fox's presence and the danger he posed.
And the fox said I better hurry up with my kill
The fox became anxious and hurried as he realized he was being pursued, wanting to get away with his prey before he could be caught.
There gonna soon be on my trail oh trail oh trail oh
The fox knew he was being chased by the group and feared that they would catch up to him and seek revenge for their lost companion.
Well the fox he came to his cozy den
The fox returned to his home, hoping to find safety within, and proceeded to prepare the catch for his family.
There sat the little ones eight nine ten
The fox's family was eagerly waiting for his return with the prey to provide them nourishment.
Said pop pop pop you better go back again
The fox's family suggested that he should go back to the pen and try to get more food since he had only brought back one goose and one duck.
Cos it must be a mighty fine town oh town oh town oh
The fox's family speculated that the pen could contain more options for preparing a proper feast, enviously imagining the town in which the pen was located.
Well the fox and his wife without any strife
The fox and his wife worked together peacefully to prepare and consume the meal they had obtained.
Cut up the goose with a fork and a knife
The fox and his wife used utensils to properly cut and serve the meat of the goose.
And they never never had such a feast in their life
The fox and his family found the meal they had obtained to be delicious and enjoyed it to the fullest extent.
And the little ones chewed on a bone oh bone oh bone oh
Even the young foxes were able to enjoy and consume the leftovers of the feast, chewing on the bones of the prey.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUIGI CREATORE, HUGO E PERETTI, JAMES FREDERICK RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrismartin259
I was sung this by my teacher as a 5 year old and tried for years to find it only thanks to you tube I found it a few years ago brings a tear to my eye to think that it was 50 years ago when miss Dillon sang this to the class
@felixbautista
so will I... this is one of my long lasting favorites among Jimmie Rodgers recordings... thanks so much for coming by.... my best wishes.
@bennyjazzful
Another gem from that wonderful voice of Jimmie Rodgers. Must be one of the very best voices of all time!
@eamoncassells1658
My dad used to sing this to us as kids now he sings it to my kids and they love it.
@felixbautista
It's likewise one of my all time favorites among Jimmie Rodgers.. thank you so much for coming by PhoenixaSol.
@billyswann2236
Thanks Felix, the Fox and the goose has got to be my favourite Jimmie Rodgers song, Just luv the guitar playing on this track.
@audriasimmons400
I agree🦊🦆
@primroseharan9749
Fantastic love this song from jimmie great voice thank you for this lovely post
@felixbautista
Thank you too for giving a wonderful attention to my big oldie favorite.
@PhoenixaSol
I've loved this all my life, I was in kindergarten or so, and I'm 53 now, so awesome to hear it again!