King Of The Road

Roger Miller

Though he's known largely as a writer of novelty songs, due to such hits as "Dang Me," "Chug-A-Lug," and "England Swings," Roger Miller was in fact one of the finest country songwriters of the '60s and '70s, and an important influence on the progressive country movement. Blending country with jazz, blues, and pop, he utilized unusual harmonic and rhythmic devices in his sophisticated songcraft, creating timeless, widely covered gems ("King of the Road," "Husbands and Wives") that have been tackled by everyone from Dean Martin to Giant Sand. In the '80s, he wrote the songs for the musical BIG RIVER, which became a huge Broadway success. Sadly, Miller died of cancer in 1992 at the age of 56.