Jimmy Rogers (1924-1997) was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica players who was born James A. Lane in Rule, Mississippi. An association of Robert Lockwood, Jr., Muddy Waters and Little Water, Rogers became known for his rhythm guitar and his South Side Chicago sound.
The bulk of the collection consists of photograph albums documenting Jimmy Rogers' later career, circa 1970-1979. Studio recordings, address books, business cards, mementos, awards and musical instruments are also included.
Some items of interest include typed lyric sheets of "Goos Pond" by Rogers who stated he started writing this work in 1941 at Vance, Mississippi and "Don't Start Me To Talking" by Rogers that is not dated; performance dates, times, costs, hotels, etc. for all dates from July 17, 1997 to December 1998 (Rogers died before he could complete all these dates); and photographs of The Aces, Frank Bandy, Scott Bradbury (Badboy Scotty), Lonnie Brooks, Eric Clapton, Frank Craig (Left Hand Frank), Ted Harvey, Walter Horton (Big Walter), Mick Jagger, Robert Johnson, S. P. Leary, Willie Mabon, McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters), Joseph William Perkins (Pinetop), Keith Richards, Willie Lee Smith (Big Eyes) and Cora Anna Walton (Koko Taylor).
Jimmy Rogers was a famous blues musician, known for his work with Muddy Waters as well as his R&B solo songs. In 1947, Rogers first began playing with Muddy Waters and Little Walter in Chicago, and in 1950, the trio began recording with Chess Records. Rogers first charted as a solo artist on the Billboard R&B charts in 1957 with the single “Walking by Myself.” After the rise of rock and roll, Chess Records placed less emphasis on blues music and Rodgers’s career, so Rodgers briefly left the music business in the early 60s. He returned to the blues scene in the late 60s and toured Europe, where blues music had become particularly popular. A new song, “Gold Tailed Bird,” was released in 1972, and Rogers continued to tour across the U.S. and around the world throughout the 1980s. In 1991, Rogers was awarded the W. C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation for his song “Ludella.” He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1995, and he received the W. C. Handy Award for Best Male Traditional Blues Artist in 1996. Rogers died in 1997, but his last album, Blues Blues Blues, was released posthumously in 1998 and featured contributions from Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and others.