James Gamble Rogers IV (January 31, 1937 – October 10, 1991) was an American folk artist musician, and storyteller known for the recurring theme in his songs and stories about characters and places in a fictional Florida county. He began his career around Florida in the 1960s, and by the 1970s he was a regular fixture at the Florida Folk Festival. By the 1980s, he was often featured on public television and public radio. By the late 80s, he had become a national sensation. His wife Cindy Mangsen describes him: "He had the gift of innocence and a fondness for the key of 'E'."
While Rogers was camping at Flagler Beach, Florida, a frightened young woman ran to him, begging him to help her father, who was in trouble in rough surf. Rogers grabbed the nearest flotation device and headed into the ocean in a rescue attempt. Both men died. In honor of his heroism, the Florida Legislature renamed the state park Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach.
This story, Dogs and Dawgs, was recorded live at The Garden Theater in Charleston, S.C. March 26, 1988 and was released on Oklawaha County Laissez-Faire (Oklawaha Records).
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