Roger Miller

Roger Dean Miller (born January 2, 1936 in Fort Worth , Texas , † October 25, 1992 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American country singer and songwriter.

Life

Beginnings

After his father's early death, Roger Miller was raised by relatives living in Oklahoma . His childhood was marked by poverty. The only change was radio shows like Grand Ole Opry and Light Crust Doughboys . He found additional access to country music through his brother-in-law Sheb Wooley , who was at the beginning of a career.

Drinkin 'and Thinkin' (as Chuck Rogers)

After a brief stint in the army, where he temporarily played in a country band, Miller moved to Nashville in 1957 . Here he tried in vain to get a record deal . In order to gain a foothold in the music city, he worked as a bellhop. Gradually it found its way into the local scene. As a session musician, he participated in recordings of Minnie Pearl and Faron Young . Several unsuccessful singles were produced for the Mercury label. Eventually he began writing songs for Tree Publishing .

For a while he worked as a firefighter in Amarillo , Texas . Here he met Ray Price , who took him on as a drummer in his backing band, the Cherokee Cowboys. In 1958 Price achieved a top ten hit with the song Invitation to the Blues, written by Roger Miller . Others were also successful with his songs. Jim Reeves even reached the top of the country charts with Billy Bayou .

It was around this time that the young songwriter came into contact with Johnny Cash and his band, the Tennessee Three . The band suffered badly from Cash's unreliability caused by amphetamines at that time, so that the musicians Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins were there on time at many concerts, but the star was missing. In his book I Was There When It Happened , bassist Grant remembers how Roger Miller often stepped in as a singer in such cases and thus saved the ticket revenue. The friendship with Grant and Perkins gave Miller at least the opportunity to be on stage from time to time in the early to mid-1960s.

Career

After his success as a songwriter, Miller tried again as an interpreter. First for DECCA and then for RCA some moderately successful singles were recorded. The highest hit parade position was reached in 1961 with When Two Worlds Collide number ten.

Roger Miller - King of the Road

RCA released him and Miller moved to Hollywood , where he made his living by appearing on television shows. In 1964 he signed with the Smash label. With his first single, Dang Me , he made his final breakthrough. The song stayed at the top of the country charts for six weeks and made it into the top ten of the pop hit parade.

The next singles were also successful. Above all, it was his subtle and often humorous lyrics that brought a new quality to country music. He was the first to tell full stories in his songs, establishing a tradition that was continued by the likes of Kris Kristofferson and Tom T. Hall .

The song was released in 1965 and is inseparably linked to his name to this day: King of the Road , the undisputed climax of his career. It earned him five Grammys and other awards. He invested his money in a hotel chain.

Record sales soon subsided, but his songs continued to be interpreted successfully by other stars. In May 1969 he was the original performer of Me and Bobby McGee , a country song later made world famous by Janis Joplin .

In the early seventies, he switched to the Columbia label. But even here no noteworthy successes could be achieved. In 1973 he was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame . This year he also worked on the cartoon Robin Hood , for which he wrote and recorded essential parts of the music. He was in the spotlight one last time in 1985 when he wrote a Broadway musical with Big River that earned him two Tony Awards .

On October 25, 1992, Roger Miller died of throat cancer. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame three years later . In Erick , Oklahoma, the city where he grew up, "Roger Miller Boulevard" is named after him.

Most famous songs

• King of the Road
• Dang Me
• Chug-a-Lug
• Little Green Apples
• England swings
• Engine Engine Number Nine
• In the summer time
• Thu-Wacka-Thu
• You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Stove

Discography

Albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	Country
1964	Roger and Out	US37 gold (46 weeks)US	Country3 (24 weeks) Country
1965	The Return of Roger Miller	US4th gold (47 weeks)US	Country2 (31 weeks) Country
	The 3rd Time Around	US13 (24 weeks) US	Country1 (20 weeks) Country
1966	Words and Music	US108 (13 weeks) US	Country32 (5 weeks) Country
1967	Walkin 'in the Sunshine	US118 (8 weeks) US	Country15 (19 weeks) Country
	Waterhole # 3 (Code of the West)	-	Country42 (2 weeks) Country
1968	A tender look at love	US173 (8 weeks) US	Country14 (18 weeks) Country
1969	Roger Miller	US163 (7 weeks) US	Country20 (17 weeks) Country
1970	Roger Miller 1970	US200 (2 weeks) US	Country33 (7 weeks) Country
	A trip in the country	-	Country23 (12 weeks) Country
1973	Dear Folks, Sorry I Haven't Written Lately	-	Country26 (10 weeks) Country

More albums

• 1965: The Country Side of Roger Miller (Starday)
• 1969: Roger Miller (feat.Dang Me & The New Hit Chug-A-Lug) (Smash)
• 1969: Man of Distinction (Mercury)
• 1976: Celebration
• 1977: Painted Poetry
• 1978: Off the Wall
• 1979: Making a Name for Myself
• 1982: Old Friends (with Willie Nelson )
• 1985: Roger Miller
• 1986: The Country Side of Roger Miller
• 1994: Green Green Grass of Home
• 2007: A Man Like Me - The Early Years (work edition; Bear Family Records)

Compilations

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	Country
1965	Golden hits	US6th gold (57 weeks)US	Country2 (32 weeks) Country
1972	The Best of Roger Miller	-	Country19 (21 weeks) Country

More compilations

• 1964: Roger Miller (The Tunes that Launched the Roger Miller Career)
• 1965: The One and Only
• 1965: Wild-Child
• 1971: King of the Road
• 1975: super songs
• 1991: The Best of Roger Miller, Vol. 1: Country Tunesmith
• 1991: The Best of Roger Miller: His Greatest Songs
• 1992: King of the Road
• 1992: The Best of Roger Miller, Vol. 2: King of the Road
• 1992: King of the Road
• 1992: Dang Me!
• 1993: Greatest Hits
• 1993: Country Spotlight
• 1993: Legendary Hits
• 1994: The Hits of Roger Miller
• 1994: King of the Road
• 1994: Dang Me: Hits
• 1995: At His Best
• 1995: King of the Road: The Genius of Roger Miller
• 1995: King of the Road
• 1995: The Best of Roger Miller
• 1996: great hits
• 1996: Golden Classics: 22 Classic Tracks
• 1996: Country Classics
• 1996: Dang Me
• 1996: King of the Road
• 1997: hits
• 1997: The Very Best of Roger Miller
• 1998: King of the Road: His Greatest Hits
• 1998: The Best of Roger Miller
• 1998: King of the Road: Greatest Hits and Favorites
• 1998: Great Performances: Encore Collection
• 1998: Golden Hits
• 1999: Greatest Hits
• 1999: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Roger Miller
• 1999: Country Music Hall of Fame 1995
• 2000: The Best of Country
• 2000: Country Gold: King of the Road
• 2000: The Very Best of Roger Miller
• 2000: Good Old Country
• 2000: Oh Boy Records Classics Presents Roger Miller
• 2000: King of the Road
• 2000: Roger Miller
• 2001: Pure Country
• 2001: The Best of Roger Miller
• 2002: The Masters
• 2002: Roger Miller Classics
• 2002: David Allan Coe Presents Roger Miller
• 2003: All Time Greatest Hits
• 2003: King of the Road
• 2003: Roger Miller
• 2004: World of Roger Miller
• 2004: Platinum & Gold Collection
• 2004: Country Legends
• 2004: At His Best
• 2005: King of the Road
• 2005: King of the Road: The Best of Roger Miller
• 2006: Best of Roger Miller, Vol. 1
• 2006: Best of Roger Miller, Vol. 2
• 2006: Chug a Lug
• 2006: Country Hit Parade
• 2006: A Man Like Me: The Early Years of Roger Miller
• 2007: Timeless Hits
• 2007: Pure

Live albums

• 1997: Roger Miller Live!
• 2000: Live
• 2001: Hits You Remember: Live

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	UK	US	Country
1960	You don't want my love	-	-	-	Country14 (16 weeks) Country
1961	When Two Worlds Collide	-	-	-	Country6 (18 weeks) Country
1963	Lock, stock and teardrops	-	-	-	Country26 (1 week) Country
1964	Dang Me Roger and Out	-	-	US7 (11 weeks) US	Country1 (25 weeks) Country
	Chug-a-Lug Roger and Out	-	-	US9 (13 weeks) US	Country3 (17 weeks) Country
1965	Do-Wacka-Do The Return of Roger Miller	-	-	US31 (8 weeks) US	Country15 (11 weeks) Country
	King of the Road The Return of Roger Miller	DE26 (3 weeks) DE	UK1 (15 weeks) UK	US4th gold (13 weeks)US	Country1 (20 weeks) Country
	Engine Engine # 9 The 3rd Time Around	-	UK33 (5 weeks) UK	US7 (9 weeks) US	Country2 (18 weeks) Country
	One Dyin 'and a Buryin' The 3rd Time Around	-	-	US34 (7 weeks) US	Country10 (12 weeks) Country
	Kansas City Star The 3rd Time Around	-	UK48 (1 week) UK	US31 (7 weeks) US	Country7 (13 weeks) Country
	England Swings Golden Hits	-	UK13 (8 weeks) UK	US8 (11 weeks) US	Country3 (16 weeks) Country
1966	Husbands and Wives Words and Music	-	-	US26 (7 weeks) US	Country5 (14 weeks) Country
	I've Been a Long Time Leavin '(But I'll Be a Long Time Gone) Words and Music	-	-	-	Country13 (10 weeks) Country	B-side of Husbands and Wives
	You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd Golden Hits	-	-	US40 (6 weeks) US	Country35 (5 weeks) Country
	My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died Words and Music	-	-	US58 (5 weeks) US	Country39 (9 weeks) Country
	Heartbreak Hotel Words and Music	-	-	US84 (4 weeks) US	Country55 (3 weeks) Country
1967	Walkin 'in the Sunshine Walkin' in the Sunshine	-	-	US37 (7 weeks) US	Country7 (17 weeks) Country
	The Ballad of Waterhole # 3 (Code of the West) Waterhole # 3 (Code of the West)	-	-	-	Country27 (11 weeks) Country
1968	Little Green Apples A Tender Look at Love	-	UK19 (13 weeks) UK	US39 (9 weeks) US	Country6 (13 weeks) Country
1969	Vance Roger Miller	-	-	US80 (6 weeks) US	Country15 (12 weeks) Country
	Me and Bobby McGee Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country12 (16 weeks) Country
	Where Have All the Average People Gone Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country14 (10 weeks) Country
1970	The Tom Green County Fair Roger Miller 1970	-	-	-	Country36 (7 weeks) Country
	South The Best of Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country15 (12 weeks) Country
1971	Tomorrow Night in Baltimore The Best of Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country11 (14 weeks) Country
	Lovin 'Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again) The Best of Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country28 (11 weeks) Country
1972	We Found It in Each Other's Arms	-	-	-	Country34 (8 weeks) Country
	Sunny Side of My Life	-	-	-	Country63 (3 weeks) Country
	Rings for Sale	-	-	-	Country41 (11 weeks) Country
1973	Hoppy's Gone	-	-	-	Country42 (8 weeks) Country
	Open Up Your Heart Dear Folks Sorry I Haven't Written Lately	-	-	-	Country14 (14 weeks) Country
	I Believe in the Sunshine Dear Folks Sorry I Haven't Written Lately	-	-	-	Country24 (11 weeks) Country
1974	Whistle stop	-	-	-	Country86 (3 weeks) Country
1975	I love a rodeo super songs	-	-	-	Country57 (10 weeks) Country
1977	Baby Me Baby Off the Wall	-	-	-	Country68 (6 weeks) Country
1979	The Hat Making a Name for Myself	-	-	-	Country98 (2 weeks) Country
1981	Everyone Gets Crazy Now and Then	-	-	-	Country36 (10 weeks) Country
1982	Old Friends Old Friends	-	-	-	Country19 (16 weeks) Country	with Willie Nelson and Ray Price
1985	River in the Rain Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country36 (12 weeks) Country
1986	Some Hearts Get All the Breaks Roger Miller	-	-	-	Country81 (8 weeks) Country

More singles

• 1957: Poor Little John
• 1958: You're Forgettin 'Me
• 1958: On This Mountain Top
• 1958: Mine Is a Lonely Life
• 1959: Wrong Kind of Girl
• 1959: Jason Fleming
• 1961: Fair Swiss Maiden
• 1962: Sorry Willie
• 1962: Hey Little Star
• 1967: Old Toy Trains
• 1968: Tolivar
• 1975: Our Love
• 1977: Oklahoma Woman

Awards

• 1965: Grammy Award : Best Country Song: "Dang Me"
• 1965: Grammy Award: Best New Country and Western Artist
• 1965: Grammy Award: Best Country and Western Recording, Single: "Dang Me"
• 1965: Grammy Award: Best Country and Western Performance, Male: "Dang Me"
• 1965: Grammy Award: Best Country and Western Album: "Dang Me" / "Chug-a-Lug"
• 1965: Jukebox Artist of the Year
• 1965: Academy of Country Music : "Best Songwriter"
• 1965: Academy of Country Music: "Man of the Year"
• 1966: Grammy Award : Best Country Song: "King of the Road"
• 1966: Grammy Award: Best Country Vocal Performance, Male: "King of the Road"
• 1966: Grammy Award: Best Country and Western Recording, Single: "King of the Road"
• 1966: Grammy Award: Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male: "King of the Road"
• 1966: Grammy Award: Best Contemporary (Rock 'N Roll), Single: "King of the Road"
• 1966: Grammy Award: Best Country and Western Album: "The Return of Roger Miller"
• 1985: Tony Award : Best Score: "Big River"
• 1988: Academy of Country Music: Pioneer Award
• 1995: Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame
• 1997: Grammy Hall of Fame Song: "Dang Me"
• 1998: Grammy Hall of Fame Song: "King Of The Road"

Web links

• Official website
• German website
• Roger Miller Museum
• Roger Miller in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Chart sources: DE UK US
2. ↑ ^{a b} Awards for Music Sales: US