It’s hard not to talk about country music without mentioning one of the first pioneers of the genre The Singing Brakeman.”
James Charles Rodgers (Who went by “Jimmie Rodgers“) was born in Meridian, Mississippi in September 1897. Working on the railroads like his father before him, Jimmie sang and played guitar for his fellow employees, which earned him the nickname “The Singing Brakeman.”
He had wrote and recorded a series of ”blue yodels” which became his trademark, he combined delta blues and traditional European yodelling, many people claim that Rodgers yodelled his way through recordings as he often forgot the words to his songs he wrote years ago. (I’ll include a few links to his songs below)
Jimmie worked with many up and coming stars such as Louis Armstrong. Armstrong played trumped on Rodgers “Blue Yodel #9” and Armstongs wife played piano. Rodgers also worked with The Carter Family (who I’ll do a post about in the future). They recorded may humour records, and many peoplw thought either Rodgers or the Family travelled across the US to meet up with each other where as a matter of fact they where all in the same studio, under the same label.
Jimmie Rodgers died of a tubercular haemorrhage in May 1933.
My Thoughts on “The Singing Brakeman“
Rodgers has influenced generations of country music, many artists that followed after his premature death in 1933 started off impersonating him, such as Gene Autry, Ernest Tubb (Who was given Rodgers Pearl guitar, by Rodgers wife) and Hank Snow.
Moving into the 50s, you had Johnny Cash recording covers of The Brakeman‘s songs all throughout his career, who would then go into working with The Carter Family, who when working with Cash was told a story that Rodgers had try to date Mother Maybelle. You had Jim Reeves covering ”Waiting for a train.”
In all you can’t skip over country music without running into Jimmie Rodgers or some artist covering his songs.
Finally in the 60s Merle Haggard recorded an entire album as a tribute to Rodgers. Titled “Same Train, A Different Time”
I enjoy listening to Rodgers music, such a strange combination or blues and yodelling but it works, the way he times his picking and yodelling is handled well. I advise you give it a listen!
Album suggestions for first time listeners
Daddy and Home
The essential Jimmie Rodgers
RCA country legends Jimmie Rodgers
Links to songs or pages related to the artist
Sources Used for this post.
The Guinness who’s who of country music
Cash The autobiography of Johnny Cash
Country Music USA