- Date Of Birth: July 24, 1926
- Date Of Death: December 6, 2019
- State: Texas
Al Rogers, 93, of Belton.
Mr. Rogers died Friday, December 6, 2019, at his home in Belton.
Mr. Rogers was born in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania but always said he was Texan. He was born the son of John and Helen (Lucas) Gresko. He married Elizabeth DeRosa (Ross) in 1947, in West Mifflin, PA.
Al’s life was filled with music, he played the banjo at the early age of nine and achieved great success in Country Music.
He served in the US Air Force during World Was II as an entertainment specialist, doing radio shows for the Armed Forces Radio from Manila in the Philippines. After his discharge he pursued the music business doing radio and television shows at WJAS PITTSBURGH, PA., WAVE Louisville, KY., WMPS Memphis, TN., WSM Grand Ole Opry Nashville, TN., KGNC Amarillo, TX., WOAI San Antonio, TX., and others.
He recorded for MGM and Capitol Records and received success with song, “Forever Isn’t Long Enough”, “Deep Water” and others. In 1983 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Walkway of stars in Nashville, TN, and he inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, in 1984.
He was picked one of the nations top ten western band leaders by Orchestra World Magazine in 1950, Billboard Disc Jockey picks for his MGM Records, Billboard Magazine Publishers Merit Award, and others. A recording studio at his home kept him busy with writing and producing his latest album “Texas Tails Trails and Songs” a song and story about the early west.
He was a Catholic and a member of Christ The King Catholic Church in Belton. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, past district deputy and Grand Knight. He was always asked to sing the Ave Maria at church funerals.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth “Betty” Rogers in 2015 and just days after his death on December 10, 2019 his sister Mildred Stinner passed away.
Survivors include two daughters, Joanne Anderson and Kathy Woods; three grandchildren, Monica Kornblum, Nathan Woods and Anthony Woods and one great grandson, Cole Kornblum.
