Ain't Got No Cigarettes: Memories of Music Legend Roger Miller

My head | Nita Nupress

[Nita Nupress]

BOOK REVIEW & DISCUSSION:

Ain't Got No Cigarettes: Memories of Music Legend Roger Miller
By Lyle E Style

"It's an endless story about Roger. He was one of the cleverest people I've ever met in my life." (Waylon Jennings)

---

This is my own review of Ain't Got No Cigarettes, the first Roger Miller book ever published. My review is based on reading the book (twice) and having several discussions with Lyle E Style, the author. He may stop by later to answer questions (as his schedule allows).

This one is a must-read, folks. And for you radio personalities who lurk, Lyle is very articulate. (YouTube.:-)


Roger Miller's spontaneous wit and creativity were legendary among his friends. Even today, they regard him as the most gifted songwriter/entertainer they've ever known. How do I know this? Because that's exactly what they told me in this book. 

Author Lyle E Style has compiled a remarkable account of a man whom we knew and loved as Roger, but who was also known in Nashville as "The Wild Child." This is no ordinary "biographical" type of book. You'll read it cover to cover, laughing out loud one minute and maybe shedding a tear the next. Go read the reviews on Lyle's website if you need to. . Better yet, go read the reviews and then buy the book. If you like country music, you won't regret this one. If you do, send it to me. I want another one.

Style spent four years tracking down friends and peers of Roger Miller to see what they remembered. As it turned out, they remembered plenty.

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The King of The Road Finally Gets His Due

The Legend

Roger Miller himself needs no introduction. I'll do it anyway, though. There's always one in every crowd -- someone who can't remember the 1960s because he spent it with Janis Joplin in Haight-Ashbury, probably watching his hair grow. Also, those of you who weren't alive in the '60s or who lived on planet Venus may need a short background. (If you don't need the 3-paragraph bio, skip it.)

Roger Dean Miller (1936-1992) began writing songs at age five when he wrote a verse about his mother while walking to school. At age 11 he taught himself to play fiddle, followed by the guitar, banjo, drums, and piano. By the time Roger died in 1992 of cancer, he had written hundreds of songs. No doubt you remember Roger for those funny songs we all knew and loved such as "Dang Me" and "Chug-a-Lug," as well as his signature classic "King of the Road." Many people don't know that Roger was the voice of Alan-A-Dale the Rooster in the 1973 movie Robin Hood. He also wrote and sang several of the movie's songs ("Oo-de-lally", "Not in Nottingham" and "Whistle-Stop"). He was a regular on Johnny Carson and other TV shows. In 1985 this multi-faceted artist blazed new trails by writing the musical score for Big River, a Broadway play that swept the Tony Awards that year.

Roger Miller's remarkable songwriting skills and vocal chords earned him a total of 11 Grammys in the mid-1960s, a record that remained unbeaten until Michael Jackson and Thriller.  His rise to Nashville stardom actually began in the late '50s when other singers began covering his songs (Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, George Jones, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jim Reeves, Faron Young). In 1964 he released two songs ("Dang Me" and "Chug-a-Lug") on Smash Records that became overnight hits. Those two songs were unlike anything Nashville had ever seen. They also helped him walk away with Grammy awards in all five of his nominations, including that of Best New Country & Western Artist. Miller wasn't competing against slouches, either. Roger's unique style beat out such notables as Buck Owens, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Bobby Bare, Hank Williams, Jr., Sonny James, Dottie West, Bill Anderson, and Connie Smith.

By 1965 the British Invasion was in full swing, starting with the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. When Beatle-mania began sweeping the country, other British bands followed, such as Hermann's Hermits, The Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues, and The Yardbirds with Eric Clapton. Meanwhile, Roger Miller had crossed musical genres into pop, giving him another record-breaking year at the Grammy Awards. His song "King of The Road" beat out the Beatles' "Yesterday" in two separate categories. That year, Miller went home with awards in six of his nine nominations. Roger Miller's Grammy domination had been so complete, the rules were changed so it wouldn't happen again. (Source). One of his songs, "Dang Me," is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.  (More biography: Country Music Hall of Fame and CMT.com)

So, yeah. Roger Miller was big, all right. Plenty big.

The Author

Lyle E Style seems to be a really nice guy from what I can tell. He's a songwriter, singer, and connoisseur of country music, especially that of the "Outlaw" variety. Style had never heard of Roger Miller until one Tuesday night in 1998 when he caught a music-filled tribute on TNN -- ``Roger Miller Remembered.''  Wanting to know more, Style began searching book and music stores but soon realized that detailed information about Roger Miller was not easy to find. Most of Roger's music had not been reissued, despite his discography of over 800 songs. Even harder to believe, no one had written a book. Style decided he couldn't do much about the first problem, the paucity of music, but he was soon crafting plans to remedy the second problem. Within two years Style had landed his first interview: Merle Haggard.

The Storytellers

Unbelievably, Style managed to snag face-time with such notable greats as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Buck Owens, Mel Tillis, Marty Stuart, Dwight Yoakum, and many, many others too numerous to list. (Full list is on Lyle's website). Some of the names you'll recognize instantly and some are more "behind the scenes," but all of them knew Roger in some capacity. As Style's 4-year journey progressed he was often told, "Oh, don't bother with him. He doesn't do interviews. Hasn't in years." Style asked them anyway, despite the well-meaning advice. And like so many others had done, the reclusive people were eager to talk about their friend and share their Roger-memories with the world. Even if it meant sharing some face-time with this stranger from Winnipeg. 

When I started reading this book it wasn't long before I noticed the same words being used repeatedly during the interviews. "Genius." "Brilliant." "Quick." "Witty." "Clever."  The words and phrases were everywhere. If a genuine respect and admiration for Roger Miller's creative genius was ever in doubt, this book dispels those doubts in a very big way.  Roger seems to be universally liked and admired by his peers in Nashville and beyond, which makes it even more astonishing that Lyle's book is the first one ever written.

"Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Roger Miller were real close friends, all four of us. It's a funny thing that none of us ever bring up Roger when we're together. It's too tender. You know, I don't know of anybody that would say anything bad about Roger. I don't think there is any bad. He was loved by everybody who knew him. I really cared a lot for him and I miss him every day." (Merle Haggard)

"[Roger]... was probably my favorite. He was the most talented singer, the most talented and gifted person of the century. He was exactly what he appears to be. He was sensitive, he was funny, he was highly intelligent, and I don't go a week that I don't think about him." (Mickey Newbury, songwriter)

To be honest, I was halfway expecting to find the obligatory, "Oh-he-was-such-a-fine-fellow" type of praise you often  see when a public figure diess. Instead of the faux praise, I was struck by all the seemingly genuine, heartfelt emotions.  Even if I tried, I couldn't convey the admiration shown in this book for Roger's songwriting talent.

"Roger was hands down the most creative articulator of words that we ever had in Nashville. ... Nobody else ever approached the cleverness with which he could handle a subject." (Ted Harris, songwriter)

The interviews weren't limited to the well-known, "famous" people such as Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Style showed some real insight by tracking down lesser-known country music "insiders," some of whom accompanied Roger on road trips for months at a time. This diversity helped give the book a well-rounded balance. 

One of the interviews was Sheb Wooley, who was Roger's brother-in-law. (You may remember him as a country music singer and the "Pete Nolan" character on Rawhide). Back when Sheb was nineteen and Roger was nine, Sheb would visit the Miller farm while courting Roger's sister (technically his cousin, but that's another story). When Sheb is asked if he and Roger ever sang together, he states: "...we would ride that old horse together, ride out across them prairies, singing them songs. He had a nice voice when he was a little kid. He was on pitch too.  He had a nice sense of humor even back then."

To round out the interviews, Style even talked to Roger's Nashville doctor, Dr. Robert Ossoff, and to Manuel, Roger's clothing designer.  I suppose we could over-analyze here and make an argument that Styles' thoroughness was due to "obsession" and not "insight." People with obsessive traits do tend to write good books because of its arduous nature. We shouldn't make that leap, though. Manuel-the-clothier had a hilarious story to tell and only a thorough person could have found it. About the only people Style didn't track down were the pilots of all those Lear jets. Maybe he's saving that for Part 2.
 
 
The Interviewing & Editing

At Styles' insistence, the "Not-so-Famous" storytellers were included alongside the "The Famous." It was Styles' determination to save them that helped guide his choice of publisher. Some of the U.S. publishers wanted to chop the 'lesser-knowns,' who were arguably the people who knew Roger best. When push came to shove, Style seems to have taken notes from one of his heroes, Waylon. In true country music "Outlaw" fashion, Style chose a publisher that would give him more creative control over his work.

For the most part, Style asked the questions that you or I would have asked, which helped keep the reader focused. After asking a question, he would  prudently sit back and give the storytellers free reign. Sometimes they strayed off-topic, but in many ways, that's one of the big positives about the book. We get to hear all the side stories.

Occasionally, one of the storytellers would wander off-topic and you could see Style's "journalistic self-control" meander right out the door with him. But then again, how do you spend a three-day weekend with Waylon Jennings and not ask him about that trademark "Whoop! Whoop!" sound he makes? I think Style has addressed this somewhere else, but I'll say it more bluntly: Would you have told Waylon Arnold Jennings to get "back on topic" when he started telling you about that ongoing feud with Tompall Glaser? And would you have pulled out your "refocusing skills" if record producer Jack Clement -- THE Jack Clement, mind you -- started sharing all his stories about Elvis, Sam Phillips, Sun Studio, Jerry Lee Lewis, RCA, and Chet Atkins? 
 
This book is also unique because it has minimal clutter. Style has gotten a few emails from unhappy readers who wanted more author commentary. I disagree strongly. Mr. Style did not know Roger Miller. It was not his story to tell. The book probably would have benefited from having an expanded Index in the back to make stories easier to find again, but other than that, I wanted the stories!  If I want an expansive biography, I can find them on Wiki or Answer or at the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

As with all books, white space costs money. It's simple, really. The more verbiage Style wrote about a man he didn't know, the fewer 1st-hand stories I would get to read.

(1st Person Stories + Author Verbiage)



Editor/Publisher "Space-Limitations"® (a.k.a. hatchet-job)

=

Total # of really cool Roger-stories I get to read

The Drugs

You knew I would get to it eventually. I have to. It was part of who Roger Miller was.

First, this is not a "tell-all" book in any way whatsoever. That's not what Style wanted and it's not what he delivered. But yes, Roger's friend tell us lots of stories about his drug use. Surprisingly, though, many are just as candid about their own. Evidently, rampant pill-popping was an considerable part of the Nashville music scene four decades ago. The quote below is toward the beginning of the book. Whether by design or not, its early placement in the text was an inkling of what may follow.  I don't want to be a spoiler here so I won't give you any more specifics. Go buy the book.

"Now, Lyle, don't go writing a whole bunch of stuff about speed and stuff and say I'm the only one who mentioned it. I don't want to be the only one. We were all doing it, every one of us. Everybody knew it and everybody used it. If you ask the next person you interview, "Did you do speed in the sixties?" Damn right they did! If they say, "No," they're lying. (Don Bowman)

Mr. Bowman, you needn't have worried.

So what about Roger's pill use? Why? A few of his friends talked about the "why" directly but I'll leave that to others to contemplate. If you're going to read this book, it would help to first read about his early childhood. Then when you read Lyle's book, it helps to puts things into perspective. It lets you see exactly what he had to overcome.  I've read the book twice already to digest everything that's in it. As soon as I get a chance I'll be reading it again. (Reading and rereading this book seems to be a common practice. It's that good.)

Roger's early childhood trauma left him with a wound that most of us can only imagine. By age three, he had lost all of his immediate family members to either death or separation: His father, his mother, both of his older brothers, and finally, the familiar surroundings he knew as "home." This type of inner hurt and pain would have made a lesser person curl up and die, at least on the inside, anyway. Roger was resilient, though, even as a 3-year old. Instead of curling up and dying, he learned how to survive.

God Bless you, Roger Miller. You were just something else.


Summary

Lyle E. Style has accomplished two things with this book, either one of which could stand alone on its own merits. Style does both.

First, he provides us with a truly heartwarming account, however painful at times, of a legendary musical artist who has largely been forgotten. No doubt, there are other readers here who grew up listening to Roger Miller like I did. Those who go on to read Lyle's book will realize that, while we were listening to (and laughing at) all those funny, "cutesy" songs, many of Roger's musical masterpieces remained unheard. Or even worse, they were left unrecorded. It's as if some of his songs got stuck somewhere between Bakersfield and the dusty bank vaults of Tree Publishing (now Sony/CBS).

The second thing Mr. Style has done is give us an insider's glimpse into early Nashville in its heyday. We hear 1st-person narratives straight from those who lived it. Nashville in Roger Miller's day was a time of camaraderie between singers, songwriters, and even producers. Talent ruled the day, not young executives with lap tops. Grand Ol' Opry performers walked across the alley to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge for a drink between shows. Singers and songwriters met for guitar pulls to bounce songs off one another. Roger and Roy Clark would pull all-night joke marathons to see who would be left standing.  These stories and more are in these interviews.

Many of these storytellers have already passed away, and the graying music legends who remain aren't getting any younger. By gathering these legends all in one spot, Style, a Canadian, has preserved a valuable slice of our Americana history.

Even if you don't like Roger Miller's music or Roger Miller the man, you may find this book interesting for its historical value alone.

 

"All in all, it's safe to say there will never be another Roger Miller, not even close." (Fred Foster, songwriter)

[Nita Nupress]

Now that's a great idea about the webcam. So your family gets to sit at home and watch you perform. Try to remember to send me a ping on Oct. 10th to remind me so I can watch. (like you won't have busier things going on. Ha! Do you go on Thursday?

[Fledermaus]

I see if my dad can scan it. It's in one of mom's gazillion picture boxes.

[mrestyle]

I’m more than happy to answer almost any question you or anyone else has. Forgive me if my answers/comments are too long (that’s the great thing about the scroll bar).

Regarding the family, the original title and concept was “Old Friends: Fuzzy Memories of Roger Miller” (the title obviously changed, because it seemed everyone liked the ring of “Ain’t Got No Cigarettes” better because it got people thinking of singing along with Roger, the “Old Friends” reference would probably be relevant to only the hardcore Roger fans). So right from the start, the focus was on his old friends.

When I started meeting people that knew Roger, I saw their faces light up and they always had a great story to share. I could relate to that, sharing funny stories about my friends with others but I couldn’t relate to sharing stories about my family members to people that I wasn’t close to. So it just wasn’t a gut instinct to track down the family to get their memories with the exception of Sheb Wooley, because he was an entertainer and was such a huge influence on Roger, plus many people I interviewed told me I had better chat with Sheb!

I came up with this book concept because I’m a fan of Roger Miller: the entertainer, the songwriter and the character - so that’s what I was on a mission to find out more about. I also see it as there is Roger, the celebrity, and then there’s Roger, the family man. I was interested in the celebrity, thinking that his personal life (and that of his families’) is their business. Since there were a few ex-wives out there, I imagine there would be some interesting stories that could have been shared as to why marriages ended, what his kids are doing these days, how they coped with his ups and downs, etc, but that really isn’t any of our business unless you’re a family member. I never brought up anything like that to any of the interviewees like “why did that marriage end?” In fact, I never even asked any questions about the drug issues unless they brought it up first. That decision was also based on the fact that I’m a big Elvis fan and I’ve always thought that there is WAY too much detail revealed about Elvis’ relationships with his family, his diet, his sex life, even issues with his bodily functions - stuff that isn’t anyone’s business. I think poor Elvis has had a huge invasion of privacy. I hope no one considers this book an invasion of Roger’s privacy, I see it more of a “Hey, do know what an amazing guy this was?” sort of book.

Another thing was, I know as a fan (who became a fan after Roger’s passing) that it was hard on me knowing that Roger wasn’t with us creating anymore. I saw the hurt in the eyes of his friends who missed and loved him so much. There were many times when tears were held back and sometimes shed by the interviewees and that affected me too. It was often an emotional experience being there capturing their memories. I could just imagine if I were to interview Roger’s immediate family that there would be so much more hurt and I didn’t really want to be in that position. The loss of Roger to his family must have been tougher than any of us could imagine, especially when you hear his voice on the radio regularly and people are always bringing him up. Bobby Bare told me at his house, “I was sitting right where you are the last time I spoke to him”, that really hit me - it became real (if that makes any sense).

I did meet some of the family members at a Roger Miller Tribute they did in Nashville with guests KT Oslin, AJ Croce, Pam Tillis and some other kids of the big name artists including Dean. I introduced myself to Mary Miller and she was quite friendly, I contacted her previously to meeting her just to give her a heads up that I was working on the book and that if she wanted to read anything or know anything that I was up to that she could contact me anytime or get involved with the project (I didn’t want to be some guy sneaking around asking questions about her husband behind her back). I also met Dean Miller that night, I mentioned to both of them that if they’d like to participate in the book, I’d love to include them and if not, I totally understand. I never heard anything from either of them (and that’s all right, I respect their privacy) but I have heard from some cousins of Roger who really enjoyed the book, and that’s a great feeling.

Maybe if there’s a part two down the road and the family is interested in talking, it would be nice to get some clarification on the stories included in this book along with some new stories and warm memories. There’s a ton of questions I have that went unanswered that probably only the family knows the real answers to.

This is just the Psych major in me guessing but perhaps there’s also a subconscious reason that I didn’t track down the family: have you ever tried looking up a Miller in the phonebook who lives in the LA area?

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Wed. = Semi-Finals for Quartets - ~50 quartets sing then 40 get eliminated and 10 make the Finals. Quartet Finals on Friday afternoon-ish. Thurs = Chorus Semi-Finals. 33 Choruses sing then 23 are eliminated and 10 choruses make the Finals which are on Sat. If all goes well, I should be singing all 4 days ;-).

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

PS I leave for the competition on the evening of Mon. the 9th. All competitors have a briefing and venue walk-through on Tues. I'll try to remember to send you private mail that day with the expected on-stage time(s) at least for both of the semi-final rounds.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Actually my

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Funny you should mention that.... I know a Miller in the LA area. He's one of my husband's best friends going back to jr. high age. But he's no relation to Roger Miller ;-).

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Actually my husband is into this big time too - he coaches my 4-member group. He's going along because a) he's sort of "famous" in this particular art form, b) he loves these singing competitions, and c) he'll give us some last-minute "you'll be great" backstage encouragement. So no, he won't be "stayin' home watchin' no webcam", as Roger Miller himself might have said. But our teenagers, parents, sisters, and friends back home will all be watching via webcam ;-).

[Nita Nupress]

I’m more than happy to answer almost any question you or anyone else has. Forgive me if my answers/comments are too long (that’s the great thing about the scroll bar).

In this case, "long" is good. Thanks for answering in such a forthright manner. Before I wrote the review, you said you would answer almost any question, and I see you're good for your word.

You said,  "I did meet some of the family members at a Roger Miller Tribute they did in Nashville with guests KT Oslin, AJ Croce, Pam Tillis and some other kids of the big name artists including Dean."

And being the curious person that I am, I found:

Event to raise funds for Nashville’s Table
By Colleen Creamer
October 15, 2002
A concert honoring the songs of Roger Miller, slated for Oct. 19 at Belcourt Theatre, will benefit Nashville’s Table and Empty Bowls. The fund-raising concert will feature Hal Ketchum, K.T. Oslin and Dean Miller, A.J. Croce, Greg Barnhill, Quinn Loggins and others.
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=9&screen=news&news_id=16795

Honesty is always a good thing. Your parents taught you well. ;-)

 

I came up with this book concept because I’m a fan of Roger Miller: the entertainer, the songwriter and the character - so that’s what I was on a mission to find out more about. I also see it as there is Roger, the celebrity, and then there’s Roger, the family man. I was interested in the celebrity, thinking that his personal life (and that of his families’) is their business.

And actually, I thought you did a great job of staying out of Roger's family business. That's one of the reasons I was glad you let Roger's friends speak instead of filling white space with your own words. Without knowing Roger personally, there's only so much you could've said without crossing into that fuzzy grey area that becomes Roger Miller's private business. You took the high road.

If any of Roger's family was made uncomfortable by his friends' stories, I would hope that they have the ability to step back a minute to put things in a different context -- to reflect on just who "Roger Miller, the family member" was to people. One hundred of Roger's friends just told us: He was a musical genius.

And when it involves genius, there is no stopping the documentation process. Documentation of genius must be done. If it were never done we would have empty history books.  In the case of "Roger Miller, the entertainer," you were just the first one who saw the necessity.

By the way, none of my family members have 100 famous and semi-famous friends who would say, "It's about time he got his own book." But just so you'll know, if they ever do, I'll be the one who writes the book, so you won't have to. ;-)

[Nita Nupress]

Thank you! I'll put it on my calendar so I won't forget!

[Nita Nupress]

Oh, and something else I wanted to say:

Anyone who can work Jesus into an interview with the press like you did gets my vote.

Is there a web link to that interview that you know of? I would love to have it.

Sincerely,
Nita NuPress :-)

[hedgetrimmer]

bump for later

[mrestyle]

My manager posted some of that interview regarding Jesus/Roger (it was a a short reference) on www.alternativecountrymusic.com

I don't know if what I said even made sense but here's that part, again taken from the Take Country Back magazine:

When I asked Lyle what makes Roger Miller so endearingly 'real' and iconic in the same breath, Style’s answer is quick and poignant.


“Roger Miller was himself all the time. I've been told that by many people. He was the same person on stage as he was offstage, which is unlike many celebrities who put on an act for the audience and media but aren't so nice in real life. I guess that could make Roger "iconic" because that's the same way Jesus was from what I've read: he practiced what he preached, and he was the same to people if he was preaching to mass crowds, hanging out with friends, even on the cross. You got to respect and admire that.”

-
-

I spent two years in a minor seminary, I don't know if all those religion classes paid off or not.

[mrestyle]

Don't worry about scanning it if it's a hassle. But if it's handy someday, I'd love to see the JC photo.

[Nita Nupress]

Thanks!

[mrestyle]

Is there anyone out there that met Roger or perhaps seen him in concert?

If so, could you share a few stories from that experience? Like when/where, and perhaps anything specific from that experience?

I'd love to hear about it!

[Nita Nupress]

Do you guys know if there is a "country music" ping list anywhere? Or anything that would be close, however remotely, like "music," "entertainment," etc.?

Years ago, there was a link you could visit that had a list of all the FR ping lists. Know anything about that?

[Nita Nupress]

Bump for stories.

Do either of you guys know anything about a "music" ping list around this place?

[Dog Gone]

There are a couple of leads here, although I don't see one directly on point.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1692671/posts?page=222#222

[OwenKellogg]

Back in 1966 or 1967, my brother and I were in junior high school in South Carolina. We were never far from a transistor radio or two or three. When we weren't listening to sports, we had the radio tuned to the local Top 40 station and were grooving on the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Dave Clark Five and the rest of the popular rock music. We bought rock 45s for a dollar and stacked them on a record player, listening to them over and over.

My father was into Dixieland Jazz. His friends included famous musicians and jazz producers. He had invested in a pretty cool Hi-Fi and had a huge collection of Dixieland albums. He even recorded a weekly jazz program that preempted the rock and roll on the rock station I listened to.

One day, Dad brought home a Roger Miller album. For a season, the generation gap was gone in our home as we listened to and sang King of the Road, England Swings, Chug a Lug, etc. over and over.

Roger Miller then came to town for a concert. I remember that Dad, my brother, and I attended (the rest of the family may have been there, but I don't remember). The concert was great. Roger put on a lively show, singing all the famous tunes. Several years later, I started going to rock concerts, but I always listed Roger Miller's as the first concert I went to. It still is one of the fondest memories.

Some time after the Roger Miller concert, I found out that my dad was disappointed in the concert because Roger Miller was so obviously drunk during the concert. I, at the ripe age of 12 or 13, did not notice he was drunk and thought the performance was great.