Roger Miller, award-winning singer-songwriter, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and lost his father very young. His mother, Laudene Holt Miller, struggled to care for her three sons during the Great Depression. Miller was adopted by his uncle and aunt, Elmer and Armelia Miller who lived on a cotton farm in Erick, Oklahoma.
Miller's musical career began when he befriended Sheb Wooley, husband of his cousin, Melva Laure Miller. Wooley, who was known for the song "The Purple People Eater," taught Miller how to play guitar and encouraged him to pursue his dream of being a professional songwriter.
In the early 1950s, Miller moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to begin his songwriting career. His first big break was playing the fiddle for Minnie Pearl's road band until he was signed by Decca Records in 1958. His most famous songs were "Do Wacka Do" and "King of the Road".
Miller's songs also graced the stage and theater screens. In 1973, he wrote and performed the songs for Walt Disney's Robin Hood. He voiced Alan-a-Dale, the rooster in the movie, who plays the lute, sings the opening "Oo-De-Lally", and serves as the film's narrator. In 1985, Miller wrote "Big River" for the musical Huckleberry Finn. For this work, he received a Tony Award and remains the only person inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame to receive one.
Want to hear more?
Click below to listen to "Oo-de-Lally" from Disney's Robin Hood (1973) soundtrack, featuring Roger Miller as the rooster bard and narrator Alan-a-Dale.