WHO WAS GAMBLE ROGERS?
James Gamble Rogers IV was born in 1937, the son and grandson of prominent architects in Florida, but he chose to be a musician instead. He blended music with dialogue and storytelling to captivate any audience he came before.
Gamble inspired many artists, including Jimmy Buffet, to expand their capacity for storytelling and their musical talent will follow. Gamble first gained national attention as a lead singer and guitarist, both acoustic and electric, for the band the Serendipity Singers.
He introduced and verbally set the stage for their songs when they appeared on television shows such as The Tonight Show, Hootenanny, and The Ed Sullivan Show. Gamble soon moved to a solo career where he earned national acclaim, appearing on talk shows across the country, hosting numerous music specials, and continuing to play his whimsical, spellbinding music. At the age of 54, Gamble passed away trying to save a drowning man at Flagler Beach in Florida. He is remembered today through the Gamble Rogers Memorial Foundation and the Gamble Rogers Folk Fest.
Gamble Rogers balanced a love of balladry and folk songs with a passion for the oral tradition and storytelling. The son and grandson of influential architects, Rogers was described as both a "modern troubadour" and the "resurrection of Will Rogers and Mark Twain". Rogers was a master performer--enchanting an audience with Travis-style guitar finger picking and relating downright rib-tickling tales about the inhabitants of the fictitious Oklawaha County.
The Atlanta Constitution called Rogers, "an American treasure worthy of inclusion in the Smithsonian". Rogers was just hitting his peak when he died, on October 10, 1991, trying to save a man from drowning. The recreational area in Flagler County, where the accident occurred, was later renamed, Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area.
In the liner notes of his album, Fruitcakes, Jimmy Buffett dedicated the recording to Rogers' memory and wrote that Rogers, "taught me how to move an audience with dialogue and delivery as much as with music". In 1993, Rogers was posthumously awarded a Folk Heritage award.
~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Why do we celebrate Gamble’s legacy? Find out from our President, Jim Carrick.
MISSION
The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival and Concert Series is a 501(c)3 not for profit charitable organization dedicated to commemorating the life and music of Gamble Rogers, whose passion for balladry, storytelling, and the folk tradition have helped shape American folk music. Another part of its mission is keeping the folk music tradition alive for future generations by encouraging and supporting young musicians. The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival hosts monthly music workshops for students at area schools and hosts a weekend-long YoungFolk Showcase at the festival each year.
MEET THE TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Carrick - President
Harvey Lopez - Treasurer
Marianne Lerbs - Secretary
Aslyn Baringer McTaggart
Susan Brown
Don Cooper
Steve Lowe
Lolly Rogers
Elisabeth Williamson
Mike Cherico
THE GAMBLE ROGERS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
Follow this link to find out more in depth information about Gamble's music, life and legacy.
GAMBLE ROGERS
A Troubadour's Life
Beloved raconteur, environmentalist, and down-home philosopher, Gamble Rogers (1937–1991) ushered in a renaissance of folk music to a place and time that desperately needed it. In this book, Bruce Horovitz tells the story of how Rogers infused Florida's rapidly commercializing landscape with a refreshing dose of homegrown authenticity and how his distinctive music and personality touched the nation.
