Two CD set. Jimmie Rodgers was the "Singing Brakeman," a Mississippi boy who used to work the railroads, done good. With his trademark yodel, he brought so-called hillbilly music into the mainstream. In a life as colorful as the songs he sang, the "father of country music," rose from obscurity to create a new level of international stardom for American music before his tragic early death. Bonus CD: The Rough Guide to Country Music Pioneers - a unique collection of tracks which traces the early origins of what we now call "country music. " from the classic string-band performers and banjo maestros to the assorted oddball elements, this Rough Guide presents a star-studded roll call; the Carter Family, Dock Boggs, Fiddlin John Carson and Uncle Eck Dunford all appear.