CBEB’s

Below the fold are two excerpts from the 1930 newsreel, “The Singing Brakeman”. This is the only footage in existence of Jimmie Rodgers performing (I think there’s newsreel footage of him with Will Rogers), and I’m showcasing two of his greatest songs, “Waiting for a Train” and “T for Texas (Blue Yodel #1)”. Known as “The Father of Country Music”, Rodgers influenced countless artists, even outside the realm of country; Howlin’ Wolf’s distinctive howl was based on Rodger’s yodeling. After his death from tuberculosis in 1933, there was a boom in artists who weren’t necessarily Jimmie Rodgers Impersonators, but more like Jimmie Rodgers Tribute Bands. Among those who started out in this field were Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb. Rodgers’ widow would eventually present Jimmie’s famous guitar to Ernest Tubb, while Hank Snow named his son Jimmie Rodgers Snow in honor of his hero.

Although these clips portray Rodgers at his down home folksiest, his status as The Father of Country Music is a bit misleading. Not that it isn’t a fair assessment, but Rodgers was essentially a popular music artist whose music was marketed to rural whites. He recorded a little over 100 songs throughout his career, and there is a wide variety of styles on display in his catalog. Some of his recordings feature bizarre whistling, musical saws, obviously stoned-out-of-their-mind jazz musicians (check out “Desert Blues”) , and Lilian Armstrong and her husband, Louis Armstrong played on Rodger’s “Blue Yodel #9″. The label “country music” puts off a lot of people, but the music of Jimmie Rodgers truly transcends the clichés normally associated with the genre. Sure, he sang about momma, trains, jail and all that good stuff, but he did it with great style.
Here’s “Waiting for a Train”, considered by many to be one of his greatest tunes:
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And here’s “T for Texas”, one of his earliest songs and first big hits:
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