Jimmie Rodgers: The Father Of Country Music

Jimmie Rodgers, a.k.a. The Singing Brakeman and The Blue Yodeler, was a former railroad worker, who built a memorable career in just seven years, before he succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 36. Born in 1897, in Meridian, MS, Rodgers' early days are recalled in interviews with family and friends. Gladys Hunt, his sister-in-law, recalls that she was recruited by Jimmie to write song lyrics, which he would then put to music, throw in a yodel or two, and record. He reached the height of his popularity during the Great Depression, when people would go into a country store and ask for "a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, and the latest Jimmie Rodgers." In addition to using stills from the period, there is footage of Rodgers singing "My Rough and Rowdy Ways." Following his death, a stone monument was erected in Meridian, where each year the faithful journey to pay tribute on the anniversary of his death. In 1961, Jimmie Rodgers became the first member to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A moving, powerful video biography of a small man with a big voice. Highly recommended. (Available from: The Cinema Guild, 1697 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.)