Weldon Nelson Rogers (30 October 1927 Marietta, Oklahoma – 13 September 2004, Perryton, Texas) was an American songwriter, singer of country and rockabilly, radio disc jockey, and record producer.[1] He co-founded Je–Wel Records with Jean Oliver (née Bobbie Jean Oliver; 1939–2008) to produce, as Je-Wel's first record, the first record for The Teen Kings in 1956.[2] Oliver's father, Chester Oliver (né Chester Calvin Oliver; 1907–2000),[i] an oil and gas industry lease pumper,[3][ii] provided financial backing for the Je–Wel label.[4]
Weldon Rogers & The Teen Kings (Imperial X5451) (45 rpm single) (1957) †
Side A: "So Long, Good Luck and Goodbye", by Weldon Rogers, IM-1400
Side B: "Tryin' to Get to You", by Weldon Rogers, IM-1401 (July 8, 1957)
Wanda Rogers, Weldon Rogers (Columbia 4-43322) (45 rpm single) OCLC732360598
Sides A & B produced by Donald Firth Law (1902–1982) and Frank Mervyn Jones (1926–2005)
Side A: "Bright Lights" — ZSP110861-1C (matrix)
Side B: "Lying Lips and Cheating Heart" — ZSP110862-1C (matrix)
Wanda Rogers, Weldon Rogers (Columbia 4-43492) (45 rpm single) OCLC732360626
Sides A & B produced by Donald Firth Law (1901–1982) and Frank Mervyn Jones (1926–2005)
Side A: "The Longest Night" — JZSP112653-1B (matrix)
Side B: "Old Memories Keep Returning" — JZSP112652-1B (matrix)
Pete Cassell, Wanda Rogers, Weldon Rogers, Carl Butler, Pearl Butler (Columbia 4-43030) (45 rpm single) OCLC732360499
Sides A & B produced by Donald Firth Law (1902–1982) and Frank Mervyn Jones (1926–2005)
Side A: "Just a Message" — JZSP-77271-1E (matrix); Radio station copy
Side B: "I'm Hanging Up the Phone" — JZSP-77270-1F (matrix); Radio station copy
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† While living in California, Rogers landed a recording contract with Imperial Records, but, in doing so, he presented Orbison's recording of "Trying to Get to You" as his own. Lewis Robert Chudd (1911–1998) of Imperial agreed for Weldon to again record at Norman Petty's studio backed up by The Teen Kings, who, in December 1956, had split from Orbison. Four songs were pressed including "So Long, Good Luck, Goodbye" (which was composed on the drive to the session). This side was selected for release along with a re-recording of "Trying To Get To You". When the record was issued, there was a snafu. Imperial company used Orbison's version but credited Rogers. There then arose a series of disagreements between Rogers and Chudd that led to a cessation of Imperial releases of Rogers. Rogers asked for, and got, a release from his contract.[2]
Weldon was one of five children born to Otto Brigamyer Rogers (1903–1966) and Sadie Josephine Clifton (maiden 1908–1997) who were farmers.[2] Weldon Rogers – on February 27, 1959, in Tijuana, Mexico – married singer and songwriter Wanda Faye Rogers (née Wanda Faye Narmore; 1929–1910). Both of them had been married before. They divorced October 2, 1967, in Jackson County, Oregon.
Weldon Nelson Rogers died September 13, 2004, in Perryton, Texas, and is buried in the Ochiltree Cemetery, Perryton, Texas.[9]
Bibliography
Annotations
^Chester Oliver also, in the late 1950s, provided financial backing for Triple-D Records and Blue Moon Records, both of Seminole. (Brown, "Rockin'" Robin; né Robert William Brown; born 1945. "Record Labels of West Texas".)
^A "pumper," in the North American oil and gas exploration and production industry, is an occupational title of a person who oversees daily operations of producing wells. The term is synonymous with "lease operator". (Hyne)
"James Emmit Morrow" (obituary). March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021 – via Dignity Memorial(born January 12, 1936 – died March 7, 2020, " ... graduated from Wink High School in 1955").{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
"Weldon Rogers, 76, of Perryton, Died September 13, 2004". The Perryton Herald (obituary). Vol. 87. Perryton, Texas. September 16, 2004. OCLC14257041.
Wilkinson, Tony (née Anthony Leonard Wilkinson; 1943–2013). "Weldon Rogers" (biography) – via tims.blackcat.nl(originally published as "This Is My Story" in the Yahoo! Group "Shakin' All Over"). Collected and compiled by Dik de Heer and posted on the website, tims.blackcat.nl of Norway. "TIMS" in the url is an acronym for Wilkinson's body of work, "This Is My Story." {{cite web}}: External link in |postscript= and |via= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)(author bio: "Tony Wilkinson Obituary", 2013, by John Howard, UK ROCK Magazine).
