Jimmy's brother, Walter was a conductor on a railroad line running between Meridian, Mississippi and New Orleans, and secured Jimmy a job as a brakeman on the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad

Jimmy worked for the railroad until 1924 when he came down with tuberculosis at age 27 and had to leave the service temporarily. He continued on entertaining and doing roadshows performing in the Southeastern United States. He went back to the railroad working out of Miami, Florida, for awhile and then relocated to Tucson, Arizona, where he was employed as a switchman by the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1927 he was performing in Asheville, North Carolina he had an opportunity to perform a recording for Ralph Peer a representative of the Victor Talking Machine Company two recordings were bought for $100 and released with modest success. This was the start of Jimmy's musical career.

Jiminy was more determined to make a career in entertainment and headed to New York City to arrange another session with Peer they traveled to Camden, New Jersey, where four songs made it out of the session, including "Blue Yodel" better known as "T for Texas" In the next two years this recording sold nearly half one million copies rocketing Rogers into stardom.

Jimmy Rogers was very busy, he did a movie short for Columbia Pictures, The Singing Brakeman (This Is Available on DVD Compilation "Times Ain't like They Used to Be: Early Rural and Popular Music from Rare Original Film Masters 1928-1935, also available on YouTube.)

Jimmie Rodgers in The Singing Brakeman

Nine minute video with 3 songs: Waiting for a Train/Daddy and Home/Blue Yodel.

At about 6:07 he pulls out his pocket watch and checks the time.

Jimmy toured with Will Rogers as part of a Red Cross tour across the Midwest. In 1930, he recorded "Blue Yodel No. 9" with Louis Armstrong on trumpet and his wife Lil Harden Armstrong on piano.

Jimmy Rogers next to last recording were made in August 1932 in Camden, New Jersey, and it was clear that the tuberculosis was getting the better of him. By then he had given up trying, but did do a weekly radio show in San Antonio, Texas, where he had relocated with his family.

Nine minute video with 3 songs: Waiting for a Train/Daddy and Home/Blue Yodel.

Now we're talking!

In May 1933. Jimmy Rogers, knowing his days were numbered, traveled again to New York City for a group of sessions beginning May 17. He started the sessions recording alone and completed four songs the first day. He was getting weaker and weaker and had to rest between recordings. The final ones included "Mississippi Delta Blues" and for his last song "Years Ago," Jimmy passed away, from the ravages of tuberculosis, in New York City, on May 26, 1933, at age 35, with the revenue from these recordings. He provided his wife Carrie and daughter, Anita and comfortable lifestyle when he was gone.

On this CD cover, he is giving the thumbs-up signal, that in railroad lexicon means 12 o'clock or time for beans (lunch break)

Thank you from us fans for taking the time to put all that up, Larry. **** of a musician. Memorable tunes! I didn't know much about his life and RR connection. Now I do! And I'm going to check on the youtube stuff that I haven't seen.

kh

Just terrific, Larry--what a great history of an incomparable American musician.

For what it's worth, here is the rendition of "Blue Yodel" that I'm most familiar with. As he always did, Ronnie gives Jimmy credit for the song! Ironic early deaths for them both.

https://video.search.yahoo.com...ozilla&hsimp=yhs-004

This is quite a topic!

An enjoyable expansion of musical horizons for many of us.

Anyone who missed William's video linked in his March 1st post, go back and see it! His beautiful crystals, his horological knowledge, his wit and sense of humor and now his very professional video work are all worthwhile.

This is a great group!

Don

?
I just saw that Jimmie Rodgers wasn't inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame until 2013; maybe because he's not easy to categorize.

Wow! Thanks Donald!

The great Dan Hicks is someone who I had the good fortune to meet (we hired him and his band "the hot licks" as part of a small concert series in 2002-2005). During his performance he mentioned Jimmy Rodgers, the father of country music, as one of his big influences. Here's a nice live number recorded at the Warfield theater during the same time period. Enjoy! http://youtu.be/pjOoYQJYglQ

William

Bob Dylan got together with some other performers and did a Tribute album to Jimmie Rogers.

The Songs of Jimmie Rogers (A Tribute)

1.) Dreaming With Tears in My Eyes- performer – Bono
2.) Any Old Time-performer – Allison Krauss & Union Station
3.) Waiting for a Train-performer – Dickey Betts
4.) Somewhere down below the Mason Dixon Line-performer – Mary Chapin Carpenter
5.) Miss the Mississippi and You-performer – David Ball
6.) My Blue-Eyed Jane-performer – Bob Dylan
7.) Peach Pickin Time in Georgia-performer – Willie Nelson
8.) In the Jailhouse Now-performer Steve Earle & The V-Roys
9.) Blue Yodel No. 9-performer – Jerry Garcia/David Grisman/John Kahn
10.) Hobo Bill's Last Ride-performer – Iris DeMent
11.) Gambling Bar Room Blues-performer – John Mellencamp
12.) Mule Skinner Blues-performer – Van Morrison
13.) Why Should I Be Lonely-performer – Aaron Neville
14.) T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)-performer – Dwight Yoakam.

Are we out of train songs? I don't think so! It's Friday night! ....well it was about 3 minutes ago.

Here's some early James Brown, 1962. "Night Train"

1973 Midnight Special, Gladys Knight & the Pips Midnight Train to Georgia

When I was a teenager, this was the most popular Railroad song in the whole USA: Train Kept a Rollin' Another fabulous Midnight Special presentation.

Not by a country mile, William! With your and Debbie's postings above, as well as my additions below, I count actual links to train songs on this post in 15 different American-Music genres:

Country Rock
Country
Ragtime
Blues
Piano March
Rock n' Roll
Folk Rock
Jazz
Acid Rock
R&B
Big Band
Metal
Soul
Gospel
Easy Listening

Just goes to show that Americans love their trains

Don't know how we missed this one . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk_hPTN50UE (Roger Miller--King of the Road)

Some more blues from an American legend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09j6vMdKi3E (Howlin Wolf--Smokestack Lightning)

Here's our Heavy Metal representative (albeit a Britisher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwDpAfFzcRQ (Ozzy Osbourne--Crazy Train)

Who'd a thunk we'd hear from the Carpenters on this list? Most gorgeous voice I think I've ever heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BujO-VKgKQ (Carpenters--Trains and Boats and Planes)

One of my most favorite songs of all time, in any genre. Performed by another Brit but written by one of America's more unique and interesting songwriters:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6yk9wWNB08 (Rod Stewart--Downtown Train--Written by Tom Waits)

'Bout time we heard from a woman on this list. Check out Rosetta jammin' on that monster early Les Paul SG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOrhjgt-_Qc (Sister Rosetta Thorpe--This Train is Bound for Glory)

No way we could leave this classic soul/R&B tune off the list!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr4VM2qs_kE (Ojays--Love Train)

And finally, this BAND, not song, is named for the Railroad. But it is so hilarious I simply couldn't leave it off the list!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfXs0m32A8E (Confederate Railroad--Trashy Women)

Orange Blossum Special performed by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCBdiutb-50

Same song by Johnny Cash and Roy Clark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgo-YWAkgPQ

Make that 16 genres--we now need to add Bluegrass to the list. I can't believe no one added this one earlier . . .

Gary, here's the CDB version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fih2p4HMY

Here's a little bluegrass for you. (From the Father of bluegrass!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-V0boxHU3U