 In 1924, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which temporarily ended his rail career. He had always been interested in the music industry, and this turn of events is what led him to pursue it as a career. He traveled to Asheville, North Carolina in 1927 and performed on WWNC, Asheville's first radio station. He and his band secured a weekly spot listed as the Jimmy Rogers Entertainers. That summer, a rep from Victor Talking Machine Company came to Bristol to audition local musicians.