Eugene Rogers (March 23, 1917–November 23, 1993), known professionally as Smokey Rogers, was an American Western swing musician and songwriter active during the 1940s and 50s on the West Coast.

Born in McMinnville, Tennessee, Rogers joined Spade Cooley's band in the 1940s (who gave Rogers his stage name). Tex Williams, Rogers and other members of Cooley's band formed a group called The Western Caravan. Both groups featured Rogers on vocals for novelty songs.[1]

Rogers co-wrote "Spanish Fandango" with Bob Wills, released in 1947. In 1949, he had a modest hit with "A Little Bird Told Me". Rogers is best known for writing the ballad "Gone", first recorded by Ferlin Husky 1952. When Husky re-recorded the song in 1956, it reached No. 1 on the country chart. It remained there for ten weeks and crossed over to the pop chart.[2] He also wrote "My Chickashay Gal", popularized by Roy Rogers.

From 1947–50, Eugene Rogers appeared in at least 22 of Universal Studios' "musical featurettes" with Tex Williams. In 1950, he bought the Bostonia Ballroom in El Cajon, California near San Diego and started a daily live TV show from the facility. In 1958, he was also doing a radio show on 50,000 watt X.E.R.B. in Rosarita Beach, Mexico. He programmed both sides of a Zane Ashton (aka Bill Aken) record of 'The Wind Running Through" with the flip side being the same song in Spanish and called "El Viento." The resulting sales in Mexico gave Ashton his first gold record.

Rogers and his first wife, Madelene, had 6 children; Laura Jo, Carl, Harold, Ruth-Ann, and twin sons, Roy and Rex Rogers. Rogers and his second wife lived in Apple Valley, California for several years where he was a local radio personality and performed regularly at the Branding Iron Restaurant. He died in San Diego on November 23, 1993 at age 76. [3]

Discography

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Year Part # Titles Notes
Four Star Records
1945 1019 Shame On You // Please Give Me One More Chance as 'Smokey Rogers & His Four Star Rangers'
1945 1020 What It Means To Be Blue // Blues In My Mind as 'Smokey Rogers & His Four Star Rangers'
1946 1067 Don't Try To Pretend // Turn My Picture Upside Down as 'Buck Rogers & His Texans'
1946 1068 Are You Somebody's Darlin' // Double Trouble as 'Buck Rogers & His Texans'
1946 1136 No Vacancy // I Let My Wife Support Me as 'Smokey (Buck) Rogers & His Texans'
1946 1137 Tho' I Tried (I Can't Forget You) // Texas Tornado as 'Smokey (Buck) Rogers & His Texans'
1947 1153 Seven Come Eleven // Huggin' And Chalkin' as 'Smokey (Buck) Rogers & His Texans'
1947 1154 Why, Oh Why, Did I Ever Leave Wyoming // I Ain't Gonna Cry No More as 'Smokey (Buck) Rogers & His Texans'
1947 1157 Possum Song // I Can't Help The Way You Feel as 'Smokey (Buck) Rogers & His Texans'
1947 1158 No She Don't – Yes She Does // Carry Me To Tucumcari as 'Smokey (Buck) Rogers & His Texans'
1947 1182 Chime Bells (v: Texie Holle) // Flying Saucers [duet] as 'Texie Holle & Smokey Rogers'
1947 1183 How Lonely Can Yo Get (v: Texie Holle) // Goin' Down The Road [duet] as 'Texie Holle & Smokey Rogers'
Capitol Records
1948 40080 Spanish Fandango // Drinkin' And A-Thinkin' as 'Smokey Rogers with Tex Williams' Western Caravan'
1948 40098 Chickashay Gal // Slap 'Er Down Agin, Paw as 'Smokey Rogers with Tex Williams' Western Caravan'
1948 40123 Don't Come Cryin' To Me // Blue Bonnet Polka as 'Smokey Rogers with Tex Williams' Western Caravan'
1948 15217 Hair Of Gold, Eyes Of Blue (with The McCall Twins) // Ball Of Fire as 'Smokey Rogers with Tex Williams' Western Caravan'
1948 15326 A Little Bird Told Me // Baby Me, Baby as 'Smokey Rogers'
1949 15406 Sui Sin Fa // Ten More Miles as 'Smokey Rogers with Tex Williams' Western Caravan'
1949 40199 A Kiss To Remember // The Spelling Song (I L-O-V-E U) as 'Smokey Rogers'
1949 40230 Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief // Make Believe Heart as 'Smokey Rogers with Tex Williams' Western Caravan'
1950 40284 (Without Your) Wedding Ring // Dimples Or Dumplin's as 'Smokey Rogers'
1950 F864 Bloodshot Eyes [duet] // Doin' Fine (v: Ann Jones) as 'Ann Jones & Smokey Rogers'
1950 F986 Rubber Knuckle Sam (v: Smokey Rogers) // The Dipsy Doodle as 'Cliffie Stone & His Hometown Jamboree Gang'
Coral Records
1950 64052 Nine-Tenths Of The Tennessee River (Are The Tears I Shed Over You) // New Panhandle Rag as 'Smokey Rogers & His String Band'
1950 64057 The Texas Song // Trouble Then Satisfaction (v: Jimmy Widener) as 'Smokey Rogers & His String Band'
1950 64063 Lose Your Blues (v: Ferlin Husky) // Tamburitza Boogie as 'Smokey Rogers & His String Band'
1951 64077 Catch Me Cheatin' // Oh How I Cry About You (v: Dean Eacker) as 'Smokey Rogers & His String Band'
1951 64088 Irma Is The Name Of My Baby // Tulsa Trot (with Joaquin Murphey) as 'Smokey Rogers & The Western Caravan'
1951 64092 Steel Guitar Jubilee (instrumental) (with Joaquin Murphey) // Wear My Ribbon as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
Western Caravan Records
1952 901 Gone // Blue as 'Smokey Rogers & The Western Caravan'
1953 902 Long Lost Love // Ragtime Accordion Joe (instrumental) as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
1953 903 Goodnight (with The Meyers Sisters) // John's Boogie (instrumental) as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
1954 105 Right Out of My Heart (v: Slim Dossy) // That's All (I Can't Forget You) (v: Slim Dossy) as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
1954 106 Even Tho' // Dissatisfied as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
1955 108 Waltz of Texas (v: Bill Pray) // When (v: Bill Pray) as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
1955 109 The Chicago Song, Pt. 1 // The Chicago Song, Pt. 2 as 'Smokey Rogers & His Western Caravan'
Caravan Records
1957 1957 I Want My Gal // The Day You Left Me as 'Tommy Duncan with Smokey Rogers & His Band'
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Notes

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  1. ^ DePasquale, Ron "Smokey Rogers - Biography" cmt.com
  2. ^ DePasquale, Ron "Smokey Rogers - Biography" cmt.com
  3. ^ Personal knowledge