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King Of The Road - Roger Miller

© Ann Stanton

Singer, musician, humorist, friend, songwriter, entertainer. He was all of this and more - and if you don't know who Roger Miller was, allow me to introduce you to one of the most talented men the music industry has ever known.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas on January 2nd, 1936,he was the youngest of three sons. Roger's father died when he was just a year old, and shortly after, his mother fell ill. The family farm was sold to help cover medical expenses, and unable to take care of her sons, their mother sent them to live with relatives. All three boys went to live with three separate families. Roger's aunt and uncle in Erick, Oklahoma, took him in.

It's said that Roger never took to farming or picking cotton, and when he reached his teen years, he drifted from town to town finding whatever work he could and hung out in honky tonks at night. He had become fast friends with Sheb Wooley, and the two of them dreamed of someday achieving stardom. Roger's free-living came to a halt when he was drafted and shipped to Korea in 1952.

Immediately after his discharge, Miller moved to Nashville to pursue his dream. He worked as a bellhop and his first break was playing in Minnie Pearl's band. Later, after he met George Jones and played for him, then was introduced to Don Pierce and Pappy Daily of Mercury-Starday Records. Before long, Roger and George were engaged to play together in Houston. And later were paired on Roger's first single.

Unfortuneatley, the record didn't do well, and Roger was discouraged. He took odd jobs to support his wife and unborn child. But big breaks came again when he was hired on by Ray Price to replace his tenor singer. He sang with the band, Cherokee Cowboys and wrote songs for Price. He hadn't been with the band for long when he signed a deal with Tree Publishing. He wrote hits for such artists as Jim Reeves and soon earned a reputation as a talented songwriter.

With the ups came downs, as well. Miller's records started to flop and he left The Cherokee Cowboys (due in part with indifferences between he and Price) and took work elsewhere. He eventually signed with Faron Young, playing drums for a year. While he was still signed with Young, Miller signed a record deal with RCA. At the time, the company was run by Chet

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