Perhaps best known for his smash crossover hit "King Of The Road," Roger Miller is a beloved figure in the world of country music. in his career, he earned 11 Grammy Awards and the only Tony Award ever giving to a country artist, for the smash broadway musical "Big River." He is a member of the County Music Hall of Fame, as well as the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, Roger wanted to be a country singer/songwriter from the time he was a boy. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and then moved to Nashville, Tennessee,the mecca for country music. He took a job as a bellhop at the Andrew Jackson Hotel and became known as the singing bellboy, singing for anyone who would listen, even in the elevators!
Eventually Roger was hired to play in Minnie Pearl's road band, and he met George Jones at WSM Radio. In 1957, George became the first to record a Roger Miller song, "Tall, Tall Trees." Roger signed to Tree publishing in Nashville as a songwriter, where he wrote chart-making songs for Ernest Tubb, Faron Young and Jim Reeves. Soon Roger was performing widely and recording his own songs. He earned his first Grammy for "Dang Me," but it was "King of the Road" in 1965 that took Roger to the top of both the pop and country charts.
Celebrated for his warmth and wit, as well as his songwriting and singing, Roger was a popular and frequent guest on television, and a gifted performer in person. With rare interviews and documentary footage, this DVD takes you inside the music for a closer look at Roger Miller. "The King of the Road."
Chapters:
• Origings: The Roots of Country Music
• King of the Road
