King Of The Road - Roger Miller
Atkins, and in August, 1960, Roger Miller recorded the song You Don't Want My Love (In The Summertime). The record reached #14 on the country charts and gave Miller the status to begin touring as a solo artist.
A year later, the song When Two Worlds Collide hit the charts at #6. At the brink of success, was a series of failures. His relationship with RCA was short-lived, he was fast earning his reputation as Nashville's Wild Child, he was broke and his marriage was on the verge of falling apart. The label dropped him in 1963.
Just a few short months later, the frustrated artist signed with Mercury's Smash Records and was once again in the studio. In January, 1964 Roger recorded two of the biggest songs of his career; Dang Me and Chug a Lug.
Dang Me soared up the charts, (and stayed there for 25 weeks) and Roger Miller's career took off. Chug a Lug hit the charts hard as well, but it was King of the Road, released in 1965 that made him. It fast became his signature song, and may be the one piece of music we identify him with. It rose to #4 on the Pop charts and peaked at #1 on the Country charts. Not bad for a poor country boy. And that wasn't the only thing he had to smile about - he was a newlywed and earned five Grammy's that year.
A succession of hit songs followed, and Miller became as well-known to the television audience as he did to radio listeners. For two full years, his career ran like wildfire and he became one of the most exposed artists in the industry. Late in 1966, NBC signed him to his own TV show, but it failed and was canceled after a short 13 week run.
Roger continued to record; including the soundtrack for Waterhole #3 in 1967 - surprisingly enough, he didn't write any of the songs. He was recording fewer and fewer of his own, but found some success with songs like Little Green Apples and Kris Kristoferson's "Me And Bobby McGee". Bad years and bad habits were taking a toll on him and Roger was scraping for new material.
In 1970, he recorded the album A Trip In The Country, which included a multitude of country standards, and veered away from Roger's previous style. The record included such songs as "That's the Way I Feel" and "Tall, Tall Trees".
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