James Gamble Rogers IV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gamble Rogers | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Gamble Rogers IV |
| Born | January 31, 1937  Winter Park, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 1991 (aged 54) |
| Genre(s) | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, author, artist, actor, screenwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1981-1991 |
| Label(s) | Oklawaha Records, Flying Fish Records, Inc, Mountain Railroad Records, Inc |
| Website | www.gamblerogers.org |
James Gamble Rogers IV (January 31, 1937-October 10, 1991) was a folk artist born in Winter Park, Florida. The namesake of two prominent architects, Rogers chose the path of a musician while on his way to a Serendipity Singers audition in New York.[1] Disgusted by the apathy of the musicians, he borrowed a guitar, tried out, and was admitted to the group.
As a self-described "modern troubadour", Gamble influenced musicians of the likes of Jimmy Buffett and Mike Cross with the former dedicating his album Fruitcakes to him. He began performing around Florida in the 1960s, often under the tutelage of poet-singer Will McLean. By the 1970s, he was a regular fixture at the Florida Folk Festival, often as the headliner. By the 1980s, he was often featured on PBS and NPR.
While at a Florida state park in Flagler Beach, Florida Gamble heard a man (Raymond Tracey) calling for help. Despite the rough water, he managed to save the man but drowned in the process. In honor of his heroism, the Florida Legislature renamed the state park Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach.
Contents |
[edit] Songs and stories
A recurring theme in Rogers' songs and stories are the characters and places in the fictional Oklawaha County, Florida though his earlier works referenced characters of the same name residing in the non-fictional Habersham County, Georgia.
Along with the stories integrated into his released songs, Rogers had written a multi-act play that integrated all of the stories into a single storyline. The play, entitled Oklawaha County Laissez-Faire, has not been released to this day and is currently in the possession of the Gamble Rogers Memorial Foundation.
[edit] Discography
- The Lord Gives Me Grace And the Devil Gives Me Style (1977)
- Live: The Warm Way Home (1980)
- Sorry Is As Sorry Does (1986)
- Oklawaha County Laissez-Faire (1996)
- Signs of a Misspent Youth (1999)
- Good Causes (2003)
[edit] Award
Rogers was awarded the Kiwanis Award for bravery, the Carnegie Award for heroism, induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame[2] and the NSA Lifetime Achievement Award (2001).
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Oracle of Oklawaha: Gamble Rogers, Southern gentlemen, Fretboard Journal, Fall 2006
- ^ Florida Folk Heritage Award
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Recording of Gamble Rogers performing "Orange Blossom Special" at the 1982 Florida Folk Festival; made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida
- Florida Folklife Collection, which contains numerous images and recordings of Gamble Rogers
- Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation homepage from the Florida Park Service online guide (which offers more backgorund on the naming of the park).
