JIMMIE RODGERS – FROM OBSCURITY TO ETERNITY

My quest researching Jimmie Rodgers was an attempt to rescue him from the obscurity where American music history had delegated him I was not Captain Ahab seeking the white whale because Jimmie had already been harpooned… by tuberculosis.

I knew nothing about him or his records before 1947 when at age 17 his widow Carrie became a trig part of my future musical career. I’ll introduce her and the part she played in my life next week

In 1946, I was busy preparing for my Golden Meadow High School graduation, (total classmates: 26 with very few survivors today) and collecting the long forgotten phonograph records of a short, balding, plain looking, obscure singer who had died at age 35 when I was three but whose records had mesmerized the Cajuns, the world and now me.

In a career that only lasted from 1927 to 1933. he recorded with solo guitar, solo piano, string bands, awing bands, jug bands, ragtime, country, (called hillbilly then), jazz. Hawaiian, and Hollywood studio bands. He sang ballads, black blues, war songs, sea chants, popular songs present and past, dialogue comedy, duets, trios (with the Carter family), and surprisingly was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 where he is ranked no 10 in the Influences. Pre-Rock” category.

Rolling Stone Magazine ranks his 1929 recording with Louis “Sadiron” Armstrong, “Blue Yodel Na 9”. as one of the songs that shaped Rock and Roll. To categorize him as just a country singer would be like calling John Wayne just another cowboy movie star.

There were more past mortem accolades, tributes, honors and awards like the song writer. musician recording artist and the Rock and Roll halls of fame-and the world wide “Father of Country Music”‘ title. His 105 recorded songs (1927 to 1933) Lave never again gone out of print and a box set can be purchased on Amazon for under $.25.00 CV

We also played Jimmie Rodgers imitators Jimmy Davis, Rex Griffin. Eiton Britt who had the biggest hit record of World War n. “There’s a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere”. Bob Wil’s Tommy Duncan and Ernest Tubb who had become the Cajuns” top country singer (called Hillbilly then) with “The Soldier’s Last Letter”, and “Walking The Floor Over You” who made frequent visits to the Stage Coach Lounge and the Bellvue Hall, (later the Safari) in South Lafourche I met “him and my friendship with Mrs. Rodgers opened another door of friendship between me and ‘The Texas Troubadour”.

While collecting Jimmie’s records 1 memorized and sang every song I acquired hut I lacked the vocal cord gimmie it took to yodel, so I never became an imitator. But that didn’t stop me from singing for the next 40 years and to many people’s surprise, getting paid for it.

It was almost a given that most Cajun homes, including ours had three pictures hung on the wall. Jesus, President Roosevelt and Huey Long, but EVERY Cajun home had a Sears/Roebuck catalog which was a basic necessity like Of swatters, coal oil lamps and a cistern* It was thumbed through until the pages became thin and unreadable and then it was used far probably the most useful purpose of all. (This is a family newspaper … figure it out.) I convinced my mother to purchase me the “Gene Antry” special $12.95 guitar while the print was still readable. I soon received it and never looked back.

One day I got an idea. From the back cover of a comic hook I ordered for $1 a pack of 50 business cards which read “The Jimmie Rodgers Appreciation Club*. I also added Leroy Martin. President”. I wrote a fen letter to Mrs. Jimmie Rodgers, San Antont Texas, the only address I had and waited. About a week later a card in my mail box informed me that I had a package at the Poet Office. I had a bike and it was almost 2 miles away, but I ran all the way.

Next week another great lady enters my life with Mom and Sister Betty.

BYE NOW !

JIMMIE RODGERS – FROM OBSCURITY TO ETERNITYJIMMIE RODGERS – FROM OBSCURITY TO ETERNITY