Dick Rogers

{{Short description|American singer, comedian, songwriter and pianist}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}

{{similar names|Richard Rogers (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Dick Rogers

| image = Dick Rogers at Empire Ballroom.png

| alt = newspaper clipping

| caption = Rogers appearing a in a 1941 The Morning Call newspaper clipping titled: "Empire Ballroom"

| image_size = 200px

| birth_name =

| alias="Stinky" Rogers

| birth_date = September 23, 1912

| birth_place =

| origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

| death_date = 1970

| death_place =

| genre = traditional pop, jazz, comedy, Swing, Ragtime

| occupation = musician, lyricist, bandleader, songwriter, composer, whistler

| instrument = Piano

| years_active = ~1934 - ~1955

| label = Okeh, Columbia, Decca, Varsity, Associated

| past_member_of = The Ray Noble Orchestra, the Will Osborne Band

}}

Richard Rogers (1912–1970) was a singer, comedian, songwriter and pianist, who wrote the lyrics for "Harlem Nocturne".{{cite web |url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0106426 |title=Harlem Nocturne |website=musicnotes.com |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=September 27, 2016 }} He was a member of the Ray Noble orchestra and the Will Osborne band.{{cite news|title='Andy Griffith' Composer Dies at 88 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/27/earle.hagen.ap/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=May 27, 2008 |access-date=December 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618060936/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/27/earle.hagen.ap/index.html |archive-date=June 18, 2008 |url-status=dead }}

Rogers was associated with Will Osborne, a "star crooner" who was on the radio in the 1930s.{{cite book |last=Gavin |first=James |date=2015 |title=Is That All There Is?: The Strange Life of Peggy Lee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pv2hCgAAQBAJ&q=Stinky+Rogers%2C+songwriter%2C+-Rodgers&pg=PA60 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |pages=60–61 |isbn=978-1-4516-4179-0}} Osborne's band was on the decline in 1940. Osborne created a "bus and truck vaudeville show", with comedy acts, which did not do well. Dick was hired on as "Stinky" Rogers, doing a singing comedy act. When Osborne moved to Hollywood in 1940, Rogers took over the band. He did well, according to a Billboard Magazine review in 1942, who said he "...acquitted himself credibly, as did his orchestra."{{cite magazine |author= |title=Hippodrome Baltimore |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwwEAAAAMBAJ&q=Dick+Rogers%2C+songwriter%2C+-Rodgers&pg=PT15 |magazine=Billboard |page=16 |date=August 8, 1942 |access-date=September 27, 2016 }} The magazine called him capable, saying he could sing, compose, play and lead.