In the early 1960s, Rogers briefly worked as a member of Howling Wolf's band, before quitting the music business altogether for almost a decade. He worked as a taxicab driver and owned a clothing store, which burned down in the 1968 Chicago riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Rogers gradually began performing in public again, and in 1971, when fashions made him somewhat popular in Europe, he began occasionally touring and recording, including a 1977 session with Waters which resulted in the album "I'm Ready". By 1982, Rogers was again a full-time solo artist. He owned and drove a white 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible which he eventually sold. He continued touring and recording albums until his death.