The Professional Work of Jesse (Rodgers) Rogers
Jesse Rodgers was born on Mar. 5, 1911 in WaynesboroMississippi. Jesse’s father was Eff Rodgers, brother of Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers was the father of Jimmie Rodgers the Singing Blue Yodeler. Jimmie Rogers was the first artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1960). Jesse Rodgers was a long time featured artist on the Hayloft Hoedown. He later started his own noontime show, Ranch Round-Up, on WDAS,Philadelphia,PA.
When Jimmie Rodgers finally succumbed to tuberculosis on May 26, 1933, the world of country music was left without its founding father and Victor records was left without one of its biggest stars. In an effort to fill the void, Victor (Bluebird) quickly signed Jimmie’s cousin, Jesse, to their Bluebird record label in 1933.
Similarities between the two were emphasized, with rumors circulating that they had grown up in the same household (they hadn’t) and that Jimmie had taught Jesse to play the guitar. Sides were recorded with distinctly Jimmie Rodgers titles (Yodeling Railroad Blues) and Jesse even signed his early promotional photographs with Jimmie’s trademark Yodelingly Yours.
But as time wore on Jesse must have found the comparisons to Jimmie constricting, or perhaps waning commercial interest in Jimmie Rodgers imitators made them less desirable. Jesse developed his own singing cowboy persona and by 1938 had dropped the “d” from his last name in an effort to further distance himself from his cousin (and likely to associate himself with that other singing cowboy, Roy Rogers).
Jesse Rogers released 72 songs for RCA Victor on the Bluebird lable and cut between 175 and 200 masters. Jesse wrote songs with Max Friedman, Billy Hayes, Bix Rightner, Mel Foree and Jimmy Skinner. While he never came close to being the national star that Jimmie was, the singing cowboy, Jesse Rogers had a successful career as a featured performer on the WLS National Barn Dance in Chicago and on the Hayloft Hoedown (where he would go on to host the children’s television show Ranger Joe.
Jesse had his own radio show inPhiladelphiaon WFIL with Phil Shirdian in the late 1940's and 1950's. As Ranger Joe, Jesse taped more than 500 half-hour national broadcast shows of Ranger Joe on CBS. His costar on the program was his trained palimino Topaz. Jesse had a cereal endorsement that came as a result of his fame in the 40's and 50's.
Jesse was so famous that he was invited to be the grand marshal of Gimbel's parade in Philadelphia and to open the season at Yale football in New HavenConnecticut. Jesse also had shows in Dallas,KansasCity and Chicago St Louis. Jesse starred in one of the first live television western shows called Western Balladier on WPTZ.Rogersalso had roles in major motion pictures.
Jesse was married to Sallie Starr, a radio celebrity for a time during the 1950's. Jesse’s recording career continued into the early ’60s, when emphysema forced him to retire. Jesse died from emphysema May 15, 1970 and is buried in RestHaven Memorial Cemetery in Houston Texas.
