James Frederick Rodgers was born on September 18, 1933 at Camas, Washington, where as a youngster he learned to play the piano and guitar. It was while serving in the air force and stationed in Tennessee that he began performing, including an appearance on the Arthur Godfrey radio show that brought him to the attention of Roulette Records.
His very first recording “Honeycomb” was an overnight hit in the summer of 1957 as it topped the charts at #1 and was a best seller for 28 straight weeks. Early in the following year “Kisses Sweeter than Wine” landed in the top five of the Hit Parade to become another million seller for Jimmie Rodgers when it was followed by “Oh-oh, I’m Falling In Love Again,” “Secretly” and “Are You Really Mine” in 1958.
With more than two dozen visits to the Hit Parade, among his other hits were “Make Me a Miracle,” “Bimbombey,” “Tucumcari,” “T.L.C. – Tender Love and Care,” “Waltzing Matilda” and “The Wreck Of The John B.”
Jimmie Rodgers is a 2008 nominee at the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.