Lyle E. Style - Ain't Got No Cigarettes: Memories of Music Legend Roger Miller

There are two things that characterize this book over everything else. One is Mr. Style's truly excellent, well, style, as he draws these memories out of some of the most famous and possibly intimidating people in Nashville and across the country; and secondly, Roger Miller was not only a remarkable genius, he had more people crazy about him than probably anyone else in the world.

The main thing I come away from in reading this book is that Roger Miller was pretty much universally loved by everyone who came in contact with him. Even those who just met him were charmed by him, or impressed by his intellect, or amused by his wit. The other thing is that it must be a universal truth that genius cannot be boxed in or pushed; invariably, it seems from every story in this book, every time Roger was doing very well it was when he was left on his own to record or film or write the way he wanted to. Any time some producer or executive put the strings on him, he failed spectacularly.

I laughed out loud several times reading this book; I felt a lump in my throat many more times. Here was a guy that absolutely no one disliked, and everyone had such wonderful things to say about him I wished I'd gotten the chance to meet him myself. He was funny, he was articulate, he was brilliant. He wrote songs like "When Two Worlds Collide" and "Husbands and Wives." He voiced a cartoon rooster for Disney so children from my generation and beyond will always know his unique voice. He made us laugh. His music still appears on TV in shows like "The Simpsons" or in commercials (and I think Roger himself would laugh at the use of "Chug-A-Lug" to sell milk). Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved him.

Roger Miller passed away far too young, at the age of 56, in October of 1992, of cancer. He left a gigantic void in country music and in the hearts of a lot of people.