Roger Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Miller
Miller in 1975
Born	Roger Dean Miller (1936-01-02)January 2, 1936 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Died	October 25, 1992(1992-10-25) (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Roger Miller Sr. Roger D. Miller Sr. "The Wild Child"
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, musician, actor
Years active	1957–1992
Spouse(s)	Barbara Crow ​ ​ (m. 1953; div. 1964)​ Leah Kendrick ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1976)​ Mary Arnold ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	8, including Dean
Musical career
Genres	Country, novelty, comedy
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, fiddle, drums
Associated acts	Bill Anderson, Mary Arnold, George Jones, Dean Miller, Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Minnie Pearl, Ray Price, Jim Reeves, Sheb Wooley, Dwight Yoakam, Larry Gatlin, Faron Young, Thumbs Carllile, John Denver, Mel Tillis, Glen Campbell, Dean Martin

Roger Dean Miller Sr. (born January 2, 1936 – died October 25, 1992) was an American singer and songwriter. He was famous for his fun, unique songs and his top country hits. Some of his most well-known songs include "King of the Road", "Dang Me", and "England Swings".

Roger Miller grew up in Oklahoma and served in the U.S. Army. He started his music career writing songs in the late 1950s. He wrote hits like "Billy Bayou" for Jim Reeves and "Invitation to the Blues" for Ray Price. Later, he began recording his own music. He became very famous in the mid-1960s and continued to make music until the 1990s. His last top 20 country hit was "Old Friends" with Ray Price and Willie Nelson in 1982.

Miller also wrote and sang several songs for the 1973 Disney animated movie Robin Hood. Later in his life, he wrote the music and lyrics for the 1985 Broadway musical Big River. This musical won a Tony Award. He even acted in the show in 1986, playing the character Pap Finn.

Roger Miller passed away in 1992. Three years later, he was honored by being added to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Other singers continued to record his songs. "Tall, Tall Trees" was covered by Alan Jackson, and "Husbands and Wives" was covered by Brooks & Dunn. Both of these songs became number one hits in the 1990s.

Roger Miller's Early Life

Roger Miller was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He was the third son of Jean and Laudene Miller. When he was only one year old, his mother, Jean Miller, died. During the Great Depression, his father could not take care of the family. So, Roger and his two brothers went to live with their uncles. Roger grew up on a farm near Erick, Oklahoma, with his aunt and uncle, Elmer and Armelia Miller.

As a boy, Roger worked on the farm. He picked cotton and plowed fields. He often said his family was "dirt poor." He remembered that they did not even have a telephone until 1951. He went to a one-room schoolhouse. Roger was a quiet child who often dreamed and made up songs. One of his first songs was about his mother.

In high school, Miller was part of the FFA. He listened to country music shows like the Grand Ole Opry with his cousin's husband, Sheb Wooley. Wooley taught Roger his first guitar chords and bought him a fiddle. Hank Williams and Bob Wills also inspired Miller to become a singer and songwriter. He started running away to perform in Oklahoma and Texas. When he was 17, he took a guitar because he really wanted to write songs. But he felt bad and turned himself in the next day. To avoid jail, he decided to join the U.S. Army. He joked that his education was "Korea, Clash of '52." Near the end of his time in the army, he played fiddle in a military band called the "Circle A Wranglers." After leaving the army, he was encouraged to go to Nashville to start his music career.

Roger Miller's Music Career

Starting as a Songwriter

After leaving the Army, Roger Miller went to Nashville, Tennessee, to begin his music career. He met with Chet Atkins, a famous music producer. Atkins asked him to sing, even lending him a guitar because Miller didn't have one. Miller was so nervous that he sang and played in two different keys! Atkins told him to come back later when he had more experience.

Miller found a job as a bellhop at a hotel in Nashville. He quickly became known as the "singing bellhop." Soon, Minnie Pearl, a famous country comedian, hired him to play fiddle in her band. He then met George Jones, another country music star. Jones introduced him to music executives at Starday Records. They were impressed and set up a recording session for Miller and Jones in Houston. Together, they wrote "Tall, Tall Trees" and "Happy Child."

After getting married and becoming a father, Miller took a break from music. He became a fireman in Amarillo, Texas. He worked as a fireman during the day and performed at night. Miller joked that he only saw two fires as a fireman. One was in a "chicken coop," and he "slept through" the other. The fire department then suggested he find other work.

Miller later met Ray Price and joined his band, the Cherokee Cowboys. He returned to Nashville and wrote "Invitation to the Blues." This song became a hit for Ray Price. Miller then signed with Tree Publishing, earning $50 a week. He wrote "Half a Mind" for Ernest Tubb and "That's the Way I Feel" for Faron Young. His first number one hit as a songwriter was "Billy Bayou," recorded by Jim Reeves. Roger Miller became one of the most successful songwriters of the 1950s. Other songwriters in Nashville would follow him around because, as one person said, "everything he said was a potential song."

Becoming a Recording Artist

In 1958, Miller signed a record deal with Decca Records. He recorded songs like "A Man Like Me" and "The Wrong Kind of Girl." These songs did not become hits. His next song, "Jason Fleming," showed a hint of his future unique style. To earn money, Miller toured as a drummer with Faron Young's band, even though he had never played drums before.

During this time, he signed a new record deal with Chet Atkins at RCA Victor. In 1960, Miller recorded "You Don't Want My Love." This song was his first to appear on the country music charts, reaching number 14. The next year, he had an even bigger hit, "When Two Worlds Collide," which he wrote with Bill Anderson. This song reached the top 10. But Miller soon got tired of just writing songs. He focused on other interests and was dropped from his record label.

After appearing on many late-night comedy shows, Miller thought he might become an actor in Hollywood. Needing money, he signed with a new record label called Smash Records. He asked for $1,600 in cash to record 16 songs. Smash agreed, and in early 1964, Miller recorded the hits "Dang Me" and "Chug-a-Lug". Both songs were released as singles. "Dang Me" reached number 1 on the country charts, and "Chug-a-Lug" reached number 3. They also did well on the pop charts. These songs changed Miller's career. He wrote "Dang Me" in just four minutes!

Later that year, he recorded "Do-Wacka-Do" and then his biggest hit, "King of the Road". This song topped the country and adult contemporary charts. It also reached number 1 in the United Kingdom. Miller was inspired to write the song by a sign that said "Trailers for Sale or Rent" and a traveler he met at an airport. It took him months to finish the song. "King of the Road" sold over a million copies and won many awards. That summer, he received a royalty check for $160,000 from the song.

Later in 1965, Miller had more hits like "Engine Engine No. 9," "Kansas City Star," and "England Swings". He started 1966 with the hit "Husbands and Wives," a song about marriage.

In September 1966, Miller got his own TV show on NBC, called The Roger Miller Show. It ran for 13 weeks. During this time, Miller recorded songs written by other people. His last hit that he wrote himself was "Walkin in the Sunshine" in 1967. Later that year, he had his final top 10 hit with "Little Green Apples." In 1968, he was the first to cover Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee," which reached number 12 on the country charts.

In 1970, Miller recorded an album called A Trip in the Country, which included his own honky-tonk style songs like "Tall, Tall Trees." After Smash Records closed, Miller signed with Columbia Records. In 1973, he released the album Dear Folks: Sorry I Haven't Written Lately. Later that year, Miller wrote and sang three songs for the Walt Disney animated movie Robin Hood. He also voiced the character Alan-a-Dale, the rooster minstrel. The songs were "Oo-De-Lally", "Not in Nottingham", and "Whistle-Stop." He also voiced Speiltoe, the horse narrator, in the 1977 holiday special Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.

Miller worked with Willie Nelson on an album called Old Friends. The main song was based on a song he had written for his family. This song, with Ray Price singing along, was Miller's last hit. It reached number 19 on the country charts in 1982.

Later Career and Broadway

In 1970, Miller opened a hotel in Nashville called the King of the Road Inn. It was a popular spot for musicians for a while. It is now called the Clarion Hotel Downtown Nashville-Stadium.

Miller continued to record for different record labels and had a few more songs on the charts. However, he stopped writing songs in 1978 because he felt his more "artistic" songs were not appreciated. He took a break from entertainment after his album Old Friends in 1981.

He returned to music after being asked to write songs for a Broadway musical. The musical was based on Mark Twain's book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Even though he hadn't read the book, Miller accepted the offer. He found that the story reminded him of his own childhood in rural Oklahoma. It took him a year and a half to write the first part of the musical. The show, called Big River, opened in New York on April 25, 1985. The musical received great reviews and won seven Tony Awards, including "Best Score" for Miller's music and lyrics. He even played the part of Huck Finn's father, Pap, for three months. In 1983, Miller also acted in an episode of the TV show Quincy, M.E., playing a country singer.

After the success of Big River, Miller moved to Santa Fe with his family. He helped write Dwight Yoakam's hit song "It Only Hurts When I Cry" from his 1990 album. Miller also sang background vocals on the song. It was released as a single in 1991 and reached number 7 on the country charts. In 1990, he started a solo guitar tour. He stopped the tour the next year when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. His last performance on television was on a special tribute to Minnie Pearl. It aired on October 26, 1992, the day after Miller passed away.

Roger Miller's Unique Style

Roger Miller is usually grouped with country music singers, but his style was very unique. Many of his songs were funny and playful, with silly words and sounds. He would often sing nonsense syllables in a style called scat singing. Other songs were heartfelt and popular, like his famous song, "King of the Road." A book about Miller called Ain't Got No Cigarettes described him as an "uncategorizable talent." Many people thought he was a genius.

His playful lyrics and sounds led him to write and sing songs for children's movies. For example, he sang "Oo-de-Lally" for the Disney movie Robin Hood. During his most successful years, his music was called country music because of his voice and his use of an acoustic guitar. Music experts say that Miller mixed country music with jazz, blues, and pop. He used interesting musical ideas in his songs and influenced a style called progressive country.

Miller once said that he tried to sound like other artists, but his music "always came out different." He realized that he was the only one who knew what he was thinking. He said his favorite song he wrote was "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd." Johnny Cash once said that Miller's deep singing voice was the closest to his own that he had ever heard.

Roger Miller's Family Life

Roger Miller was married three times and had eight children. He married Barbara Crow when they were both 17. They had four children together, but their first child died soon after birth. As his family grew, Miller wanted to become famous. After moving his family to California for a short time, Roger and Barbara separated.

Miller married Leah Kendrick in 1964. They had two children, Dean and Shannon. After 14 years, Leah and Miller separated in the mid-1970s.

Miller later married Mary Arnold. He met her through Kenny Rogers. Mary was a singer in Kenny Rogers' band, The First Edition. After that band broke up, she sang backup for Roger Miller on his tours. They even performed at the White House for President Gerald Ford. In 2009, Mary Arnold was honored by being added to the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Since Roger Miller's death, she has managed his musical legacy.

Roger Miller's Film and TV Appearances

Roger Miller appeared in several movies and TV shows:

• Waterhole No. 3 (1967) – He was the voice of the Balladeer.
• Daniel Boone (1969) – He played Johnny Appleseed.
• Robin Hood (1973) – He was the voice of Alan-a-Dale, the Rooster.
• Sesame Street (1975) - He appeared as himself.
• Nestor, the Long–Eared Christmas Donkey (1977) – He was the voice of Spieltoe.
• The Muppet Show (1979) – He appeared as himself in an episode.
• Quincy, M.E. (1983) – He played a country and western singer.
• Murder, She Wrote (1984) – He played the Sheriff in an episode.
• Lucky Luke (1991) – He was the voice of Jolly Jumper.
• Lucky Luke (1992) – He was the voice of Jolly Jumper and the narrator in 8 episodes.

Roger Miller's Awards and Honors

Roger Miller won many awards for his music and songwriting. He received 11 Grammy Awards. He also won a Broadway Tony Award for writing the music and lyrics for Big River. This musical won a total of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 1985.

He was added to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1995, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In his hometown of Erick, Oklahoma, a road was renamed "Roger Miller Boulevard" in his honor. A museum dedicated to Miller was built on that road in 2004.

Here are some of the awards Roger Miller won:

• 1964 — Grammy Award for Best Country Song: "Dang Me"
• 1964 — Grammy Award for Best New Country and Western Artist
• 1964 — Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording, Single: "Dang Me"
• 1964 — Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Performance, Male: "Dang Me"
• 1964 — Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Album: "Dang Me"/"Chug-a-Lug"
• 1965 — Jukebox Artist of the Year
• 1965 — Grammy Award for Best Country Song: "King of the Road"
• 1965 — Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male: "King of the Road"
• 1965 — Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording, Single: "King of the Road"
• 1965 — Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male: "King of the Road"
• 1965 — Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (Rock 'N Roll), Single: "King of the Road"
• 1965 — Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Album: "The Return of Roger Miller"
• 1965 — Academy of Country and Western Music: "Best Songwriter"
• 1965 — Academy of Country and Western Music: "Man of the Year"
• 1973 — Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
• 1985 — Tony Award for Best Score: Big River
• 1985 — Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics: Big River
• 1988 — Academy of Country Music: Pioneer Award
• 1995 — Country Music Hall of Fame (Inducted with Jo Walker-Meador)
• 1997 — Grammy Hall of Fame Song : "Dang Me"
• 1998 — Grammy Hall of Fame Song : "King of the Road"
• 2003 — CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music: Ranked No. 23.