Texas Musicians Top Ten: Roger Miller (#7)

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After lunch I’ll need to do some checking with the VA to see if they have my new referral to the allergist, because I either need to see him or take a bath in calamine lotion. I hate the idea of going back on allergy shots, because I’m never here to get them but I may need to. That’s later. Right now, you want a Texas musician and you’re gonna get one! To @xander6464 ‘s delight, here’s today’s artist. #7: Roger Miller Roger Miller was a phenomenal songwriter. A lot of people don’t realize it because they were laughing at the songs. But man, “The moon is high and so am I” is a GREAT opening line! Or a title like “Atta Boy Girl” (and the line, “I treated you too good, too bad”). Or a line like “the redbird sings I’ll be blue ‘cause you don’t want my love” from “In the Summertime (You Don’t Want My Love).” Or “Sorry Willie’s” punch line about talking about Willie’s loose-loving girlfriend then concluding, “Sorry, Willie, I didn’t know you didn’t know.” The man knew how to turn a phrase. Miller had been struggling for years, but when he finally burst on the scene he did so in a huge way: by the time he’d released three albums on Smash he had eleven Grammy awards. And, as I like to point out every time I bring him up, to date he’s the ONLY country singer with a Tony Award, for Big River. And, thanks to the early 60s pop crossover success he had, darn near everyone knows his name and one of his songs. I’ve mentioned how it amazed me that a bar full of young people in Chicago sang EVERY SINGLE WORD of “King of the Road” at Robbie Fulks’ tribute to Miller in 2017. THAT is a legacy. Roger Miller Born Roger Dean Miller January 2, 1936, Fort Worth Died October 25, 1992, Los Angeles (throat cancer) (age 56) HALLS OF FAME: Country Music, Nashville Songwriters Roger’s most popular song, “King of the Road” (Linda? I don’t know about this one):