![]() and his Aunt Armella Miller on a cotton farm near Erick, Oklahoma, with no electricity. Thus each was given to one of their uncles to raise, and Roger found himself with his Uncle E.D. His father died less than a year after he was born, and his mother was unable to support her three sons. Miller, born January 2, 1936, in Fort Worth, Texas, had a severely disadvantaged childhood. ![]() He is responsible for other classics in the genre as well, including "Chug-a-lug" and "Dang Me," but gained critical acclaim later for his work on the 1985 Broadway musical Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Education: Attended drama classes, early 1960s.Ĭountry singer-songwriter Roger Miller is perhaps best known for his 1965 smash, "King of the Road," which has sold over two and one-half million copies, been recorded over three hundred times by other artists, and been translated into approximately thirty different languages. married three times married third wife, Mary Arnold (a singer), Februchildren: Dean, Shannon, Alan, Rhonda, Shari. Since Miller died in 1992, those rumors will likely stay as legendary and mysterious as, well, a hobo riding the rails.įind out more about Roger Miller’s long career here.Full name Roger Dean Miller born January 2, 1936, in Fort Worth, Tex. Miller reportedly confirmed that a number of times.īut was it inspired by a hobo statue he saw at the Boise airport gift shop? Or by a sign in a local trailer sales yard? Well, yes, at least part of that iconic song was probably written here in Boise. And everyone can relate to it,” said Record Exchange spokesman John O’Neil. “Its cultural weight is far greater than just a song. So we asked the guys at downtown Boise’s Record Exchange, who know a thing or two about songs and their histories, about where the song originated - and even THEY couldn’t come up with a straight answer.īut one thing’s for sure. He always liked to tell a good story," Just stated.Ī story that seemed to change from concert to concert. “Roger Miller always said -– he’d change his story quite a bit -– but he said, he saw signs out of Chicago, out of Indiana, (even in the town of) Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. What’s more, a Twin Falls Times-News article says Miller could have gotten inspiration for the song while traveling down Garden City’s famed Chinden Boulevard, spotting a sign that said, "Rooms to Let: Fifty Cents.”Īnother rumor says Miller saw a sign reading “Trailers for Sale or Rent” –- words that would later become the song’s opening lyric - in a trailer sales lot along Garrity Boulevard in Nampa.īoise resident Rick Just has done a lot of research on Idaho history. Liner notes of Miller’s CD box set seem to confirm that.Īden has the box set in his collection, which reads in part, “In Boise, to ‘induce labor,’ as he put it, he bought a statuette of a hobo that he found at the airport gift shop and stared at it until he got the rest of the song.” Others say: no, it was the Hotel Boise - which is now the Hoff building.Īnd still others have heard Miller got the idea for the song while passing through the Boise airport. Many have heard Miller reportedly wrote the song while staying at a downtown hotel. “He came out on stage and, before he sang, he said, ‘For any of those who are here from Boise, you’ll be proud to know that I wrote King of the Road in Boise.’” Miller performed at the Snake River Stampede in Nampa back in 1972.īoise broadcast historian Frank Aden remembers it well. Rumor has it his main inspiration for the “King of the Road” song originated right here in Boise. Miller was known for composing songs while on the road, scribbling down lyrics here and there, between all his concerts and TV appearances. Roger Miller’s song “King of the Road” was a huge hit back then, topping the Billboard charts and selling more than ten million records. What has also survived is the belief that he got the inspiration for his signature song –- “King of the Road” -– right here in the Treasure Valley.īut did he really? Or is it simply an urban legend?īack in the Sixties, when songs were played on vinyl records and AM radios, listeners knew well the story of a down-on-his luck hobo … smoking stogies … railing the rails … earning his keep wherever he could. BOISE, Idaho - Twenty-seven years ago this month, country music icon Roger Miller died of cancer … leaving behind a whole slew of hit songs that have survived over the years.
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