Jimmie Rodgers

Jimmie Rodgers (1897– 1933), American country singer, songwriter, and guitarist, born James Charles Rodgers in Meridian, Mississippi. Rodgers was the genre's first important recording star. His blues-influenced vocals established an enduring style for country singers and he popularized yodeling. Not only his vocal style but also the content of his songs influenced country music for decades to come: the hard-done-by, heavy-drinking, broken-hearted drifter is a persona of Rodgers's creation. Rodgers also pioneered the use of steel-guitar backing, now commonplace in country music.

Rodgers was known as the Singing Brakeman after his employment on the railroad. His recordings, including 13 that were titled 'Blue Yodel' (in a numbered series), were made between 1927 and his death from tuberculosis six years later; one of the last was called 'TB Blues.'

Many of his Blue Yodels are better known by alternative titles: 'Blue Yodel 1' is 'T for Texas,' 'Blue Yodel 8' is 'Mule Skinner Blues.' Other songs include 'Waiting for a Train' and 'In the Jailhouse Now.'