Editing Jimmie Rodgers (section)

===Declining health and death===
As his health condition worsened, Rodgers reduced his appearances on tour schedules from five days to one per venue; he also camped in a tent, which allowed for better air circulation. A number of concerts were cut short because of his condition, while others were cancelled.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=323}} Until 1932, Peer took trips for field sessions to record Rodgers in Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas. After RCA Victor ended his field sessions, Rodgers traveled to Camden, to record at the company's studios.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=329}} Rodgers managed to produce ten sides, with regular rest between takes. Realizing the state of health of the singer, Peer arranged a follow-up session to create a backlog for the Rodgers catalog.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|pp=330-335}} Rodgers then returned to San Antonio, where he spent most of his time in bed until, in October of that year, he resumed his appearances on the local radio station.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=343}} In the early winter of 1932, he made appearances throughout East Texas until he collapsed during a show in [[Lufkin, Texas|Lufkin]] and was placed in an [[oxygen tent]].{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=344}} He then stopped performing at KMAC and stayed at home while he arranged a new recording session with Peer for May.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=347}}

Rodgers and his personal nurse, Cora Bedell, traveled to New York City on the [[SS Mohawk (1925)|SS ''Mohawk'']] and arrived on May 14, 1933. Peer left the singer to rest at his usual lodging, the Taft Hotel (earlier The Manger), for a few days before the session. Meanwhile, he assigned Rodgers a driver, known as Castro.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=349}} The recording session, with Fred Maisch engineering, began on May 17 at [[RCA Studios New York#24th St|RCA Victor's New York Studios at 153 E 24th Street]]. During the first two days, Rodgers recorded six numbers. The singer sat on an easy chair and was propped up by pillows to reach the microphone; the sessions were often paused as a result of his health. A new session was scheduled for May 24, 1933. Rodgers produced four songs and lay on a cot between takes. At the end of the day, he was helped into a cab and returned to his hotel.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|pp=350-351}} The next day, he recovered and then visited [[Coney Island]] with his driver. When returning, Rodgers decided to walk the last few blocks to the hotel, but he needed help to return to his room. He then suffered an intense cough, which eventually stopped. At midnight, he resumed coughing and began to hemorrhage. The hotel's doctor could not be found and Castro, who was out on an errand, returned too late to take him to a hospital. Rodgers fell in a coma and he died soon after.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|pp=350-351}}{{sfn|Mazor, Barry|2009|p=120}}

Rodgers' pearl-gray casket was placed on a raised platform covered in lilies in a baggage car and taken back to Meridian by the [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]] on a trip operated by former workmates of Rodgers.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=355}} On May 29, 1933, his body lay in state at the local [[Scottish Rite Cathedral (Meridian, Mississippi)|Scottish Rite Cathedral]]. That afternoon, escorted by members of the [[Scottish Rite]], the [[Temple Theater (Meridian, Mississippi)|Hamasa Shrine Temple]] and the [[Knights of Pythias]], his body was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.{{sfn|Porterfield, Nolan|2007|p=357}} During his lifetime, Rodgers reinvigorated the deflated sales record market for RCA Victor, and, despite the drop of sales during the depression, his records continued to sell well.{{sfn|Barnett, Kyle|2021|p=202}} At the time of his death, his sales represented 10% of the total for the label.{{sfn|Petrusich, Amanda|2017}}