Though he's known largely as a writer of novelty songs, due to such hits as 'Dang Me,' 'Chug-A-Lug,' and 'England Swings,' was in fact one of the finest country songwriters of the '60s and '70s, and an important influence on the progressive country movement. Blending country with jazz, blues, and pop, he utilized unusual harmonic and rhythmic devices in his sophisticated songcraft, creating timeless, widely covered gems ('King of the Road,' 'Husbands and Wives') that have been tackled by everyone from Dean Martin to Giant Sand. In the '80s, he wrote the songs for the Broadway musical Big River, which ran for over 1,000 performances and won seven Tony Awards.was born in Fort Worth, TX, but raised in the small town of Erick, OK, by his aunt and uncle, following the death of his father and his mother's debilitating sickness. Initially, he was attracted to music by hearing country over the radio as well as by his brother-in-law, Sheb Wooley. By the time he was ten, he earned enough money picking cotton to buy himself a guitar.

At the age of 11, Wooley gave him a fiddle and encouraged him to pursue a performing career. Completed the eighth grade and left school to become a ranch hand and rodeo rider. Throughout his adolescence, he played music in addition to working the ranch.

Check out King of the Road by Big Rig Singers on Amazon Music. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com. “King of the Road” was a song written and performed by Roger Miller in 1964. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks in 1965. Furthermore, it peaked at N o. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in 1965.It was one of Miller’s single in his album The Return of Roger Miller. “King of the Road” Content The song is about a man enjoying living life freely by traveling from.

Soon, he was able to play not only guitar and fiddle, but also piano, banjo, and drums.He enlisted in the Army during the Korean war and was stationed in South Carolina, where he met the brother of who arranged an audition at RCA Nashville for him. Early in 1957, left the army and auditioned for at RCA. The session was unsuccessful, and he spent a year as a bellhop at a Nashville hotel. While in Nashville, met and, who introduced him to, an executive at Mercury Records. Signed and had him cut three songs. His first single, 'Poor Little John,' disappeared without a trace. Following the failure of his first single, continued to work at the hotel and tour with other musicians - he played fiddle with for a short time, then he became the drummer for.

After a few months, he was signed as a songwriter for Tree Music Publishing and stopped performing as a supporting musician. Instead of playing music, he became a fireman in Amarillo, TX. The abandonment of performing was short-lived, however - within a few months, he became the drummer for.In 1958, recorded 's 'Invitation to the Blues,' and it went to number three. It was soon followed by three other successful versions of his songs - 's 'That's the Way I Feel' and 's 'Half a Mind' both went Top Ten, while had a number one hit with 'Billy Bayou.' That same year, recorded 'Tall Tall Trees' and 'Nothing Can Stop My Love,' which he had written with; neither of the songs were hits. The following year, had a hit with another one of 's songs, 'Home.' Since his songwriting career was flourishing, decided it was again time to try to become a performing artist as well.

He recorded a few tracks for Decca which weren't successful, and then he signed to RCA Records. 'You Don't Want My Love,' one of his first singles for the label, reached number 14 in early 1961, followed by the Top Ten 'When Two Worlds Collide' later that summer.wasn't able to immediately follow the songs with another hit single. Two years later, 'Lock, Stock and Teardrops' scraped the charts, and he left the record label.Around that time, moved to Hollywood began appearing regularly on The Jimmy Dean Show and The Merv Griffin Show, two of the most popular television programs in the country.

His guest spots showcased his new style - instead of concentrating on hardcore country, he had developed a willfully goofy persona, singing silly novelty songs. He signed a record contract with Smash Records and released his first single for the label, 'Dang Me,' in the summer of 1964. It was an immediate smash, vaulting to number one and spending six weeks at the top of the charts; it also crossed over into the pop charts, peaking at number seven.

'Chug-a-Lug' followed a few months after it, reaching number three on the country charts and nine on the pop charts. At the end of the year, 'Do-Wacka-Do' was released, becoming a number 15 hit. Began 1965 with his best-known song, 'King of the Road.' The single spent five weeks at the top of the country charts and became his biggest pop hit, peaking at number four. Its accompanying album, was another crossover success, also peaking at number four on the pop album charts and going gold. Was at his peak in 1965.

Every song he released that year - 'Engine Engine #9,' 'One Dyin' and a Buryin',' 'Kansas City Star,' 'England Swings' - reached the country Top Ten, and at the end of the year, his album went Top Ten; it would eventually go gold. In the summer of 1965, he released, a record that leaned toward his honky tonk roots; it peaked at number 13.After the watershed year of 1965, 's career dipped slightly. Although other artists were still having hits with his songs - took 'The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me' to number two - had trouble breaking the Top 40 following the number five hit 'Husbands and Wives' in early 1966. He continued to record throughout the late '60s, but fewer and fewer of the songs were becoming hits. Occasionally, he would record the songs of emerging songwriters, whether it was 's 'Little Green Apples' (number six, 1968) or 's 'Me and Bobby McGee' (number 12, 1969). Toward the end of the decade and beginning of the '70s, he began to concentrate on honky tonk, although he still made his trademark novelties.During the '70s, he recorded sporadically, preferring to concentrate on his hotel chain, appropriately called King of the Road. 'Tomorrow Night in Baltimore,' released in the spring of 1971, was his biggest hit of the decade, climbing to number 11.

Early in the decade, he wrote songs for Walt Disney's animated adaptation of Robin Hood - he also provided a voice for the rooster in the film - as well as the movie Waterhole Three. In 1973, he left Smash/Mercury for Columbia Records. He spent four years at Columbia and only his debut single for the label, 'Open Up Your Heart,' was a hit, peaking at number 14.didn't record much during the '80s - his biggest hit was 'Old Friends,' recorded with.

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In the mid-'80s, he wrote the music for Big River, a Broadway adaptation of Mark Twain's works. Both the play and 's music were critically acclaimed and enormously popular. Big River won seven Tony Awards and two of those went to, for Best Musical and Outstanding Score.Big River would be the last major work of 's career. In 1991, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and died a year later. After his death, his legacy remained strong, as each new generation of country singers found songs in his catalog to cover and reinterpret.

Country Musician. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, as a young man joined the United States Army and served in the Korean War.

Upon leaving the Army he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1957 to be a songwriter, and signed an exclusive songwriting contract with Tree Publishing Company. In 1959 he wrote his first number-one song, 'Billy Bayou' recorded by singer Jim Reeves. He had a string of popular music hits in the 1960s, and in 1966 he was given his own television show. While many of his recordings were humorous novelty songs with whimsical lyrics, he also wrote sincere ballads, and his signature song became 'King of the Road.' Married to musician and singer Mary Arnold, who was a member of country-rock band 'Kenny Rogers and The First Edition', he had 32 hit singles between 1960 and 1985.

In addition to 11 Grammy Awards, he won Broadway Theatre's Tony award for writing the score for the musical 'Big River'. He was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995. He received a Broadcast Music, Incorporated 'three million performance' award for 'King of the Road' and BMI 1 million performance awards for 'Don't We All Have the Right' and 'It Only Hurts When I Cry.' In Erick, Oklahoma where he grew up, a thoroughfare was renamed 'Roger Miller Boulevard.' The chorus of his song, 'England Swings', was used for the 1998 BBC radio program, '15 Minutes of Misery'.

In early 2006, Roger Miller's 1967 single 'Walkin' In The Sunshine' was featured in a Master card commercial. His song, 'King of the Road' was named as one of the one hundred most important songs of the 20th Century by National Public Radio. He died of lung cancer at the age of 56.Country Musician. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, as a young man joined the United States Army and served in the Korean War. Upon leaving the Army he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1957 to be a songwriter, and signed an exclusive songwriting contract with Tree Publishing Company.

In 1959 he wrote his first number-one song, 'Billy Bayou' recorded by singer Jim Reeves. He had a string of popular music hits in the 1960s, and in 1966 he was given his own television show. While many of his recordings were humorous novelty songs with whimsical lyrics, he also wrote sincere ballads, and his signature song became 'King of the Road.' Married to musician and singer Mary Arnold, who was a member of country-rock band 'Kenny Rogers and The First Edition', he had 32 hit singles between 1960 and 1985.

In addition to 11 Grammy Awards, he won Broadway Theatre's Tony award for writing the score for the musical 'Big River'. He was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995. He received a Broadcast Music, Incorporated 'three million performance' award for 'King of the Road' and BMI 1 million performance awards for 'Don't We All Have the Right' and 'It Only Hurts When I Cry.'

In Erick, Oklahoma where he grew up, a thoroughfare was renamed 'Roger Miller Boulevard.' The chorus of his song, 'England Swings', was used for the 1998 BBC radio program, '15 Minutes of Misery'.

In early 2006, Roger Miller's 1967 single 'Walkin' In The Sunshine' was featured in a Master card commercial. His song, 'King of the Road' was named as one of the one hundred most important songs of the 20th Century by National Public Radio. He died of lung cancer at the age of 56.Bio. 1 photo picked.2 photos picked.Size exceededYou may not upload any more photos to this memorial'Not a photo'Uploading.Waiting.SuccessFailedThis photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photosThis photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorialThis photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photosThis photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 20 photos to this memorialInvalid File TypeUploading 1 PhotoUploading 2 Photos1 Photo Uploaded2 Photos UploadedAdded byGREAT NEWS! We have a volunteer within ten miles of your requested photo location.GREAT NEWS! We have 2 volunteers within ten miles of your requested photo location.Also an additional volunteer within fifty miles.Also an additional 2 volunteers within fifty miles.GREAT NEWS!

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