You might have heard the news late last month, but Ringo Starr, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Eric Church, Merle Haggard (in his final recording) and over three dozen others will all star on ‘King of the Road,’ an essential tribute to Roger Miller out Friday, August 31st.
It’s been over 25 years since Miller’s death, so we thought we should revisit some of the outlandish anecdotes and crowning achievements that made him “country’s greatest comic genius” (Rolling Stone)…
He was the first on-site for Patsy Cline’s fatal plane crash.
He was a fireman fired for sleeping through fires.
He held the 18-year record for most GRAMMY’s in a single night, surpassed by Michael Jackson and ‘Thriller’ in 1984.
He racked up 31 Top 40 Billboard country hits (10 pop crossovers).
He picked 400 pounds of cotton to buy an $8 guitar, but later stole another guitar and enlisted in the army to avoid jail time.
He recorded the first version of “Me and Bobbie McGee,” wrote songs and voiced a character for Walt Disney’s 1973 ‘Robin Hood,’ and composed music for the Tony-winning ‘Big River,’ helping launch the career of actor John Goodman (who reprises the musical’s “Guv’ment” on ‘King of the Road’).
Illustrated by the sheer size of this album’s track and guest lists…uniting Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard on one song…Miller’s legacy is immortal. Read the Tennessean‘s new interview with son & producer Dean Miller here.