Jimmie Rodgers, the "Singing Brakeman," holding a customized Martin Model 000-45

Jimmie Rodgers, born in Mississippi in 1897 is acknowledged by many as the "father of country music." He worked as a brakeman on the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, however he contracted tuberculosis in 1924 and eventually was no longer able to work as a brakeman. Rodgers subsequently organized a traveling road show and later began performing on radio. His career took off, touring and recording until his premature death in 1933. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jimmie Rodgers' birth, C.F. Martin & Co. produced the Model 000-45JR Jimmie Rodgers Limited Edition guitar. C.F. Martin & Co., founded in 1833 and headquartered in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, is the world's oldest surviving producer of guitars and the largest producer of acoustic guitars in the United States.