Jimmie Rodgers was a true pioneer of country music, as he along with the Carter Family were some of the first to expand the genre’s popularity across the nation.
According to The Country Music Hall of Fame, Rodgers is widely known as “the man who started it all,” the Father of Country Music, incorporating folk, blues, and yodeling.
The Meridian, Mississippi native grew up working on the railroad as a water boy with his father, where he was influenced by the diverse group of people who worked alongside him, including the work chants of African-American railroad workers.
Needless to say, his influences turned him into a massive star in the late ’20s to early ’30s, with his hit 1931 hit “Blue Yodel No. 9” being selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
He was one of the first selected into the Country Music Hall of Fame when it was first incorporated back in 1961, alongside music publisher and songwriter Fred Rose, and none other than the great Hank Williams.
With that being said, he was most known for being a man of the people, as he continued to maintain friendships with old buddies and bandmates throughout his short career.
Unfortunately, Rodgers passed away after a long battle with Tuberculosis on May 26, 1933 at age 35.
That brings us to an important date today, as he recorded his final songs on this date, back in 1933.
Story has it, Rodgers knew his time was coming to an end, as the sickness had taken over his body. Knowing that his death would lead to financial troubles for his wife Carrie, considering the country was in a the Great Depression, he asked for a final recording session in New York.
There, he recorded “Mississippi Delta Blues” and “Years Ago,” and only 36 hours later, The Father of Country Music had passed away in Manhattan, New York.
Ol’ Jimmie was always known for putting others before himself, and his final recording session for his family was further proof of that.
Check out his final recordings here:
“Years Ago”
“Mississippi Delta Blues”
