Rodgers, James

Rodgers, (James Charles) “Jimmie” (1897–1933) musician; born in Meridian, Miss. Generally acknowledged as "The Father of Country Music," he worked as a railroad brakeman until 1924, when he was stricken with tuberculosis and began to pursue a career in music. A singer and guitarist, he adapted the black country blues to commercial hillbilly music, and developed a unique new form, the blue yodel. He made his first recordings in 1927, and within a year he reached national popularity and was billed as "the Singing Brakeman" and "America's Blue Yodeler." For the next five years, he performed with touring stage shows throughout the U.S.A., and by the time of his death he had recorded 110 titles, representing a diverse repertoire of love ballads, cowboy songs, railroad and hobo songs, and 13 blue yodels. In 1961, Rodgers became the first person elected to the Country Music Association Hall of Fame.