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| | '''Roger Dean Miller''', born in | | '''Roger Dean Miller''', born in |
| − | Fort Worth, [[Texas]], during the [[depression]], a harsh beginning. Fatherless and | + | Fort W |
| − | separated from his mother and two older brothers at the age
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| − | of one, it would be a difficult childhood.
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| − | Living with relatives in [[Oklahoma]], Roger’s escape from a lonely
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| − | and unhappy childhood came from listening to the Grand Ole Opry
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| − | on the [[radio]], learning to play a [[guitar]] and cultivating a talent for
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| − | [[song]]writing. Joining the army at 17 years of age, after serving in
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| − | [[Korea]] he was discharged and headed straight to [[Nashville]] in
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| − | search of a career in music.
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| − | Taking a job as a hotel bellhop, the multi talented Roger Miller
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| − | began to open doors that would lead to his becoming a renowned
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| − | songwriter and a chart topping singer with scores of gold
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| − | records, a Tony and numerous [[Grammy awards]] to his credit.
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| − | As a songwriter, Roger wrote hits for dozens of recording artists
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| − | including, Ernest Tubb, Faron Young, Jim Reeves, Ray Price
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| − | and Andy Williams.
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| − | Signing a recording contract with RCA Victor in 1960, Roger had
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| − | limited success with three singles. His luck would change when
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| − | Nashville’s Mercury Records head, Shelby Singleton, would have
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| − | Roger sign with the company’s new Smash label.
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| − | Written by Roger, “Dang Me” was a country and pop chart
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| − | topper in 1964. Two more of his creations, “Chug-A-Lug” and
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| − | “Do-Wacka-Do” repeated his success in the same year.
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| − | In 1965 Roger Miller hit with his multi-million seller,
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| − | “King of the Road” and followed with “Engine, Engine #9” ,
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| − | “One Dyin’ And A Buryin”, “Kansas City Star” and “England Swings”.
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| − | Among other Roger Miller hits, “Husbands and Wives”, “Walkin” In
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| − | The Sunshine”, “Little Green Apples” and “Me and Bobby McGee”.
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| − | In addition to eleven Grammy Awards, Roger also won
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| − | Broadway’s prestigious Tony Award for writing the score
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| − | of the musical “Big River”.
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| − | In 1973 he was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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| − | The Academy of Country Music, presented him with the Pioneer
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| − | Award in 1988. Roger Miller was inducted into the Country Music
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| − | Hall of Fame in 1995.
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| − | A lifetime [[cigarette]] smoker, Roger died of [[lung]] and throat
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| − | [[cancer]] on October 25, 1992. He was 56 years of age.
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| − | {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Roger}}
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| − | [[Category:Musicians]]
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