During his time working with different railroad companies, the singer further developed his musical style; he was influenced by the gandy dancers and their impromptu blues performances.

There, Rodgers became aware of the field recordings that Victor Talking Machine Company's engineer Ralph Peer was to undertake in Bristol, Tennessee.

[2] His place of birth is disputed: Meridian—which Rodgers often called his home town[3]—is most often listed in records, but he later signed a document that named Geiger, Alabama.

[4] Rodgers' mother, incapable of living in the unsanitary conditions of the camps, decided to stay in Pine Springs, while her husband frequently worked for long periods and returned home when he could.

At the age of thirteen, he started working for a tailor in West Blocton, Alabama, until, months later, his father took him back to Meridian with the intention of enrolling him at a new school.

The disease affected his ability to perform his work; following the medical advice of the time, which suggested living in elevated and dry locations to ease the symptoms, he chose to move with his wife and children to Arizona.

There, Rodgers heard of the upcoming field recordings that engineer Ralph Peer of the Victor Talking Machine Company was to undertake in Bristol, Tennessee, in search of local talent.

[22] Peer later commented that he considered Rodgers an individualist, who, due to his blues-leaning style, was incompatible with the sound of the Tenneva Ramblers band, which based its music around the use of fiddles.

After a month of not hearing back from Peer, Rodgers decided to travel to New York City, where he checked into the Manger Hotel and called the producer to let him know that he was ready to undertake his next recording session.

[27] Impressed by Rodgers' boldness, Peer set an appointment for November 30, 1927, at Studio 1 of the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey.

[32] The unknown origin of Rodgers' yodel has been attributed to several sources, including traditional alpine songs, its use by gandy dancers and its use in vaudeville and minstrel shows.

[33] The yodels presented a main character who often exaggerated his qualities as a lover, threatening other men who try to take his woman or declaring that he can easily find another one, and vocalizing verses that deal with promiscuity and violence, often using double entendres.

[38] Following the release of "If Brother Jack Were Here", Victor was threatened with a lawsuit by Joseph W. Stern & Co. for copyright infringement of their original composition "Mother Was a Lady".

[51] "Waiting for a Train" continued to be popular, as the themes depicted in the song became commonplace in the lives of unemployed Americans during the Great Depression.

[60] The same year, the singer accepted an offer to make appearances, when available, on San Antonio radio station KMAC's Tuesday show.

[62] As his health condition worsened, Rodgers reduced his appearances on tour schedules from five days to one per venue; he also camped in a tent, which allowed for better air circulation.

[65] Rodgers then returned to San Antonio, where he spent most of his time in bed until, in October of that year, he resumed his appearances on the local radio station.

That afternoon, escorted by members of the Scottish Rite, the Hamasa Shrine Temple and the Knights of Pythias, his body was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Although there was no conclusive evidence that Rodgers had slept with Kelly at the time of the child's conception, judge Edgar Vaught held that she was conceived in legal wedlock.

[109][110] For Encyclopædia Britannica, Rodgers' legacy made him "one of the principal figures in the emergence of the country and western style of popular music".

Autry, Davis and Duncan recorded multiple songs of his repertoire, including yodeling tracks, until they changed their styles to avoid being deemed imitators.

[120] Other artists that have acknowledged influence by Rodgers include Lefty Frizzell,[121] Roy Rogers, Eddy Arnold,[51] Jerry Lee Lewis,[122] Johnny Cash,[123] Willie Nelson,[107] Merle Haggard,[124] Bob Dylan,[125] George Harrison,[126] Lynyrd Skynyrd,[105] John Fahey,[127] and Alison Krauss.

[130] In his autobiography, Down Second Avenue, writer Es'kia Mphahlele described about his memories of young men bringing gramophones and Rodgers' records from Pretoria, and how his music could be heard on Christmas Day throughout his village.

In 1930, singers Griffiths Motsieloa and Ignatius Monare recorded their version of a blue yodel in Zulu language, entitled "Aubuti Nkikho", in London.

[130] Rodgers influenced several Zimbabwean acoustic guitarists of the 1940s, who had heard records imported from South Africa, including Chinemberi, Mattaka, Jacob Mhungu and Jeremiah Kainga.

Local artists developed a two-finger playing style that used the thumb and first finger to emulate the sound of the singer and they frequently used yodels.

Several performers who were influenced by Rodgers were present, including 25 Grand Ole Opry artists led by Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow.

[137] On May 24, 1978, the United States Postal Service issued a 13-cent commemorative stamp honoring Rodgers, the first in its long-running Performing Arts Series.

The stamp was designed by Jim Sharpe and depicted Rodgers with brakeman's outfit and guitar, standing in front of a locomotive giving his famous "two thumbs up" gesture.

The artists included Bono, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jerry Garcia, Dickey Betts, Dwight Yoakam, Aaron Neville, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson and others.