Question: What pioneering folk musician, known as the “Father of Country Music,” was made an honorary Texas Ranger?
Answer: Jimmie Rodgers. Born in Mississippi in 1897, he went to work for the railroad at 14 and eventually became a brakeman. A severe case of tuberculosis forced him to quit in 1924, and he began performing songs he had learned from railroad workers. He catapulted to fame in 1927 when he made his first recording, but he is probably best remembered for his series of 12 “blue yodels.”
Known as “The Singing Brakeman” and “America’s Blue Yodeler,” Rodgers produced over 100 recordings during his career. Much of his earnings went to treat his tuberculosis, and in 1929, he moved to Kerrville to seek relief from his symptoms. After he was named an honorary Texas Ranger in 1931, he released the song “The Yodeling Ranger.”
