Roger Miller Biography

Fast Facts

• Began his music career by running away from home to perform in Oklahoma and Texas venues, until the theft of a guitar at age 17 led him to avoid jail time by enlising in the Army
• Born in Fort Worth, the hardships of the Great Depression forced his father to send him away to live on an uncle's farm in Erick, Okla
• After marrying and having his first child, he briefly abandoned his Nashville career and moved to Amarillo, Texas, to become a firefighter, but a chance meeting with singer Ray Price led to his return to music
• His first Top Ten hit, "When Two Worlds Collide," was written under a moonlight sky during a trip to Texas