Editing Jimmie Rodgers (section)

{{short description|American country singer (1897–1933)}}
{{about|the country singer|the pop singer|Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer)|other people with similar names|James Rogers (disambiguation){{!}}James Rogers}}
{{redirect|The Singing Brakeman|the film|The Singing Brakeman (film){{!}}''The Singing Brakeman'' (film)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| image        = Jimmie Rodgers in 1931.jpg
| alt          = Black and white promotional portrait of a man (Jimmie Rodgers) dressed in a 1930s railway man attire consisting of a denim jacket, denim pants, a cap, and a bowtie with a white shirt. He gives thumbs up while he holds a guitar with his forearms on his raised left knee and standing on his right leg
| caption      = Rodgers in 1931
| birth_name   = James Charles Rodgers
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1897|9|8}}
| birth_place  = [[Meridian, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1933|5|26|1897|09|08}}
| death_place  = New York City, U.S.
| occupation   = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|musician|performer}}
| years_active = 1910–1933
| spouse       = {{ubl|{{marriage|Stella Kelly|1917|1919|end=div}}|{{marriage|Carrie Williamson|1920}}}}
| website      = {{URL|https://www.jimmierodgers.com}}
| module       = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| genre        = {{hlist|[[Country music|Country]]|[[blues]]|[[folk music|folk]]}}
| instrument   = {{hlist|Vocals|acoustic guitar|banjo}}
| label        = [[Victor Talking Machine Company|Victor]]/[[RCA Victor|RCA Victor/Bluebird]]
}}
}}

'''James Charles Rodgers''' ({{birth date|1897|9|8}}&nbsp;– {{death date|1933|5|26}}) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Father of Country Music]]", he is best known for his distinctive [[yodeling]]. Rodgers was known as "The Singing Brakeman" and "America's [[Blue yodeling|Blue Yodeler]]". He has been cited as an inspiration by many artists, and he has been inducted into multiple halls of fame.

Originally from [[Meridian, Mississippi]], Rodgers was the son of railroad worker Aaron Rodgers. During his early childhood the family moved according to the needs of his father's employment, or Rodgers' own poor health. As a teenager he was musically influenced by the diverse [[vaudeville]] shows that he often attended. At the age of 13 he won a local singing contest, and then traveled through the Southern United States with a [[medicine show]]. After his father took him back home to Meridian, Rodgers dropped out of school and joined the [[Mobile and Ohio Railroad]], beginning as a [[waterboy]] on his father's gang; he later performed other functions on the railroad, eventually becoming a [[brakeman]]. During his time working with different railroad companies, the singer further developed his musical style; he was influenced by the [[gandy dancer]]s and their impromptu [[blues]] performances. Rodgers was diagnosed with [[tuberculosis]] in 1924. By 1927, as a result of his declining health, he stopped working for the railroad and decided to focus on his music career.

Rodgers joined [[the Tenneva Ramblers]] band in 1927, which at the time was working at a radio station. After the band was fired from its spot, it worked in different resorts in the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]]. There, Rodgers became aware of the [[field recording]]s that [[Victor Talking Machine Company]]'s engineer [[Ralph Peer]] was to undertake in [[Bristol, Tennessee]]. During what later became known as the [[Bristol sessions]], Rodgers recorded solo, having been deserted by his band after a disagreement. A second session with Rodgers was later arranged in [[Camden, New Jersey]], at the singer's own insistence; that session produced "[[Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)]]". The song became a success, propelling Rodgers to national fame and beginning his recording career with the label, during which he produced over 120 songs.