Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmie Rodgers
Rodgers in 1968
Background information
Birth name	James Frederick Rodgers
Also known as	Jimmie F. Rodgers (credited as)
Born	(1933-09-18)September 18, 1933 Camas, Washington, U.S.
Died	January 18, 2021(2021-01-18) (aged 87) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Genres	Folk traditional pop rock and roll country
Occupation(s)	Singer Actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1957–2021
Labels	Roulette Dot A&M

James Frederick Rodgers (born September 18, 1933 – died January 18, 2021) was an American singer and actor. He became very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. His songs were hits on different music charts, including pop, country, and R&B. Later, in the 1960s, he had more success with easy-listening music.

It's important to know that Jimmie Rodgers was not related to the famous country music singer Jimmie C. Rodgers. The older Jimmie Rodgers died the same year the younger Jimmie was born. To help people tell them apart, Jimmie Frederick Rodgers was often called Jimmie F. Rodgers in his songwriting credits.

Jimmie Rodgers' Music Journey

Starting Out in Music

Jimmie Rodgers was born in Camas, Washington. His mother, who taught piano, taught him music from a young age. He started performing when he was only five years old. He learned to play the piano and guitar and performed in his local area.

After high school, he went to Clark Junior College for a short time. Then, he worked in a paper mill. Even though he loved music, he wasn't sure if he could make it his job. He later joined the United States Air Force during the Korean War.

Becoming a Star in the 1950s

While in the Air Force, Jimmie joined a band called "The Melodies." He was stationed in Nashville from 1954 to 1956. This is where he learned many new songs. In Nashville, he first heard "Honeycomb," which would become his first big hit.

Like many other performers, he appeared on Arthur Godfrey's TV talent show. He won $700! Later, music producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore discovered Jimmie's talent. They signed him to a record deal with Roulette Records.

In 1957, Jimmie recorded his own version of "Honeycomb." This song became his biggest hit, staying at the top of the music charts for four weeks. It sold over one million copies! This earned him a gold disc. Over the next year, he had more Top 10 hits like "Kisses Sweeter than Wine," "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again," "Secretly," and "Are You Really Mine." Other popular songs included "Bimbombey" and "T.L.C. Tender Love and Care."

Jimmie's success led to many TV appearances in 1957. He was on shows like "Shower of Stars" with Jack Benny and "The Big Record" with Patti Page. He also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show several times. In 1958, he sang the theme song for the movie The Long, Hot Summer. He even had his own TV show on NBC in 1959, but it didn't last long.

Hits and Films in the 1960s

In the United Kingdom, his biggest hit was "English Country Garden" in 1962. In the same year, he moved to the Dot record label. Four years later, he signed with A&M Records.

Jimmie also appeared in some movies. These included The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come and Back Door to Hell. He even helped pay for Back Door to Hell.

In 1966, Jimmie had another big hit with "It's Over." This song was later recorded by other famous singers like Elvis Presley and Glen Campbell. In 1967, he released his last Top 100 song, "Child of Clay." He performed this song on TV shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Later Career and Return to Performing

After a serious injury in 1967, Jimmie stopped performing for about a year. However, his voice was still heard! Some of his older songs were used in TV commercials in the 1970s. One was for SpaghettiOs and another for Honeycomb breakfast cereal. His songs continued to appear on music charts until 1979.

In the early 1980s, Jimmie started performing live again. He did shows in places like Reno and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1999, he appeared in a video called Rock & Roll Graffiti. He also performed in Branson, Missouri.

Jimmie returned to his hometown of Camas, Washington, in 2011 and 2012. He performed to sold-out crowds. In 2013, his neighbors successfully had a street named after him in the area where he grew up.

Health and Family Life

On December 1, 1967, Jimmie Rodgers suffered serious head injuries. He had a fractured skull and needed several surgeries. This injury greatly affected his ability to perform for a while.

Jimmie and his first wife, Colleen, divorced in 1970. They had two children, Michael and Michele. He remarried in 1970 to Trudy, and they had two sons, Casey and Logan. They later divorced. Jimmie married again to Mary, and they had a daughter named Katrine.

For many years, Jimmie suffered from spasmodic dysphonia, a condition that made it hard for him to sing. After a concert in 2012, he had open heart surgery because of a heart attack.

Jimmie Rodgers passed away on January 18, 2021, at the age of 87. He died from kidney disease. His publicist also shared that he had tested positive for COVID-19 before his death.

Jimmie Rodgers' Work

Albums

Singles

1950s Hits

1960s Hits

• ^A"Tomorrow Is My Friend" also peaked at #28 on RPM Adult Contemporary.

1970s Hits

Movies and TV Shows

Jimmie Rodgers also acted in a few movies:

• The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1961)
• Back Door to Hell (1964)

He sang the song "Half Sung Song" in the 1977 comedy movie The Billion Dollar Hobo.

Jimmie appeared on many TV shows, including:

• American Bandstand
• Kraft Music Hall
• Hootenanny
• Hee Haw (2 episodes)
• The George Burns Show (1 episode)
• The Mike Douglas Show (2 episodes)
• The Merv Griffin Show (1 episode)
• The Andy Williams Show (1 episode)
• House Party (1 episode)
• The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford (several times)
• Sunday Showcase (1 episode)
• The Steve Allen Show (2 episodes)
• The Ed Sullivan Show (4 episodes)
• The 30th Annual Academy Awards (1958)
• Shower of Stars (1 episode)
• The Jimmie Rodgers Show TV Series

In the mid-1960s, he re-recorded two of his famous songs for TV commercials:

• "Honeycomb" was used for a Post Cereals product called "Honeycomb" cereal.
• "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again" was used for Franco-American's "Uh-Oh, SpaghettiO's!" pasta.

Images for kids

• 

  Rodgers in 1968

See also

In Spanish: Jimmie Frederick Rodgers para niños