James Gamble Rogers IV was a musician and storyteller who masterfully crafted narrative and song together to make stories that have lasted for more than three decades after his early death.
Born in Winter Park to a family of architects, he chose to break tradition and become a musician. With guitar in hand, he traveled all around the country telling stories underscored by finger picked acoustic guitar. A mixture of country, folk, and storytelling, he played with artists such as Chet Atkins, Will McClean, Jimmy Buffett, and many others. He would perform yearly at the Florida Folk Festival, leaving a lasting impact on the sounds heard there today.
Central to Gamble’s work was Oklawaha County, a fictionalized version of people, places, and stories experienced in Winter Park and Habersham County, Georgia. Performing in local clubs and at festivals, he entertained guests with well-crafted tongue twisters filled with metaphors taken from Biblical scripture, Greek epics, and anecdotes from local pet store employees.
His life was cut short after a tragic incident one day at Flagler Beach, where an injured Gamble attempted to save a drowning man caught in the surf. The two passed away, and his heroism led to the state park being renamed the Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach. A middle school in St. Augustine is also named in his honor.
Rogers left behind many songs which were compiled posthumously by his business manager. Classic tunes include “The Great Maitland Turkey Farm Massacre Of Nineteen And Fifty-Three” and “Black Label Blues.” A “Modern Troubadour,” his art impacted his contemporaries and formed the Florida folk sound heard from Will McClean as well as the carefree attitude and sounds found in Jimmy Buffett’s music.