Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ROSE, Fred

(b 24 Aug. 1897, Evansville IN; d 1 Dec. '54, Nashville TN) Vocalist, songwriter, then publisher. Played the piano and sang in Chicago, recorded piano rolls, with Paul Whiteman briefly, formed duo with whistler Elmo Tanner. His 'Deep Henderson' was recorded by King Oliver and the Coon/Sanders Nighthawks; he wrote/co-wrote ''Deed I Do', 'Red Hot Mama' 'Honestly And Truly' for Sophie Tucker. He licked a drink problem mid-'30s when he discovered Christian Science. He had network radio show Freddie Rose's Song Shop, on which he wrote songs on the spot; toured with trio the Vagabonds, played piano on WSM in Nashville and got into country music by accident: wrote/co-wrote songs for Gene Autry incl. 'Be Honest With Me' (Oscar nomination '41, from film Ridin' On A Rainbow), for Roy Acuff incl. 'Fireball Mail', 'Pins And Needles', 'No One Will Ever Know'; 'Texarkana Baby' for Eddy Arnold '48. 'Fred Rose came to Nashville to laugh,' Hank Williams told Ralph J. Gleason, 'and he heard Roy Acuff and said, ''By God, he means it.''' He had joined ASCAP '28, but formed Acuff-Rose Music '42, the first all-country publishing company, and affiliated with BMI. He turned the publishing over to his son Wesley '45 (b 11 Feb. '18, Chicago; d 26 April '90), worked with artists and plugged songs; Williams was signed as a writer '46. Rose's work is of the greatest importance in post-war popular music: when crossover country/pop hits began they were Acuff-Rose songs, especially those by Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart ('Slow Poke', 'Bonaparte's Retreat', the biggest of all 'Tennessee Waltz', no. 1 for 13 weeks '50 by Patti Page), then Williams. Great as Hank was, he was also almost illiterate; Rose helped to polish many of his hits, but took co-writing credit on only a few, incl. 'Take These Chains From My Heart', 'Setting The Woods On Fire', 'Kaw-Liga'. It was Wesley's contacts in NYC that helped place Hank's songs with Mitch Miller early '50s; he set up Hickory Records '54, guided early careers of the Everly Bros, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson; signed Boudleaux and Felice Bryant to Acuff-Rose, helped form the Country Music Association. Acuff- Rose was sold to Opryland USA '85.