Knowles Fred Rose (August 24, 1898 – December 1, 1954) was an American musician, Hall of Fame songwriter, and music publishing executive.

Biography

Born in

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city i ...

, United States, Rose started playing piano and singing as a small boy. In his teens, he moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

where he worked in bars

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

for tips, and finally

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

. Eventually, he became successful as a songwriter, penning his first hit for entertainer

Sophie Tucker Sophie Tucker (born Sofia Kalish; January 13, 1886 – February 9, 1966) was an American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertaine ...

. For a short time Rose lived in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, but his radio show there did not last long and he headed to New York City's

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It origin ...

in hopes of making a living as a songwriter. It was there that he began writing songs with Ray Whitley, an RKO B-Western film star and author of " Back in the Saddle Again", and this collaboration introduced Rose to the possibilities of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

. He lived for a time with Ray and Kay Whitley in an apartment in Hollywood, co-writing many tunes for Ray's movies. In 1942, he returned to Nashville, teaming up with

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a div ...

star

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedow ...

, to create the first Nashville-based music publishing company. Their

Acuff-Rose Music Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. was an American music publishing firm formed in 1942 by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Acuff-Rose's honest behavior towards their writers set them apart from other music publishing firm ...

was almost immediately successful, particularly with the enormous hits of client

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

. Acuff-Rose Music remained a foundation of the country music business even after Rose's death; his son,

Wesley Rose Wesley Rose (born February 11, 1918 – April 26, 1990) was an American music industry executive and record producer. Biography The son of songwriter Fred Rose, he was born in Chicago and studied to become a chartered accountant. He even ...

, took over the presidency and continued with Roy Acuff until 1985, when the company's catalog was sold to Gaylord Entertainment Company, parent company of the Grand Ole Opry. Rose served as Hank Williams' record producer throughout his career, 1947-1953. While running the business, Rose continued to write numerous country songs and eventually became one of the industry's most important personalities. He also wrote songs under the name Floyd Jenkins.Atkins, Chet and Neely, Bill. (1974). "Country Gentleman". Chicago. Harry Regnery Company. . Rose died in Nashville from a heart attack in 1954 and was interred there in the Mount Olivet Cemetery. Along with Hank Williams and the "Father of Country Music", Jimmie Rodgers, Rose was one of the first three inductees of the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has ama ...

when it opened in 1961. He was inducted into the

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is ...

in 1970 and into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

in 1985. In 1986, son Wesley would join his father in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Selected list of Fred Rose songs

* "A Pair of Broken Hearts" (Rose/ Carson) – Hank Snow * " At Mail Call Today" (Rose/Autry) –

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

* "Be Honest With Me" (Rose/Autry) –

* " Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (Rose) –

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

(on Mothers Best Show),

Alain Bashung Alain Bashung (, born Alain Claude Baschung; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded in his home country a ...

* "Blue Love (In My Heart)" (Floyd Jenkins) – Hank Williams * " Charlestonette" (Rose/ Whiteman) –

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

and His Orchestra * "Crazy Heart" (Rose/Maurice Murray) – Hank Williams * "

'Deed I Do "Deed I Do" is a 1926 jazz standard composed by Fred Rose with lyrics by Walter Hirsch. It was introduced by vaudeville performer S. L. Stambaugh and popularized by Ben Bernie's recording. It was recorded by influential clarinetist and bandleader ...

" (Rose/Walter Hirsch) –

* "Deep Henderson" (Rose) –

Joe "King" Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 8/10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he wr ...

, The Ipana Troubadors, Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra * "Deep Water (Rose) –

Bob Wills James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although ...

, Carl Smith,

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...

Don Everly The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

* "Dreaming the Waltz Away" (Rose/Whiteman) –

Jesse Crawford Jesse Crawford (December 2, 1895 – May 28, 1962) was an American pianist and organist. He was well known in the 1920s as a theatre organist for silent films and as a popular recording artist. In the 1930s, he switched to the Hammond organ and b ...

* "Faded Love and Winter Roses" (Rose) – Carl Smith,

, David Houston * "Fireball Mail" (Floyd Jenkins) – Roy Acuff, Wanda Jackson * "

Flamin' Mamie "Flamin' Mamie" is a 1925 jazz classic composed by Paul Whiteman and Fred Rose.''Pops: Paul Whiteman, King of Jazz'', by Thomas A. DeLong, New Century Publishers, 1983. Paul Whiteman wrote "Flamin' Mamie" in 1925 with Fred Rose as a "Fox Trot Son ...

" (Rose/Whiteman) – Coon-Sanders Orchestra, Aileen Stanley * "Foggy River" (Rose) – Moon Mullican, Red Foley, Carl Smith * "Hang Your Head in Shame" (Rose/Ed G. Nelson/Steve Nelson) –

, Red Foley * "Home In San Antone" (Rose) – Bob Wills, Ray Price, Moe Bandy * "I Can't Go On This Way" (Rose) – Bob Wills * " I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" (Rose/Williams) – Hank Williams * "I Hang My Head And Cry" (Rose) Gene Autry,

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and succ ...

, Hank Williams (on the Mother's Best Show) * "It's a Sin" (Rose/ Grishaw) – Eddy Arnold * "

Kaw-Liga "Kaw-Liga" ( ) is a country music song written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose. Background "Kaw-Liga" is one of just a handful of songs that Williams wrote with Fred Rose, who produced his records and published his songs through his company A ...

" (Rose/Williams) – Hank Williams,

Hank Williams, Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son o ...

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

, Charley Pride, Del Shannon, Jayke Orvis & the Broken Band, * "No One Will Ever Know" (Rose/Mel Foree) – Marty Robbins,

Gene Watson Gary Gene Watson (born October 11, 1943) is an American country music singer. He is most famous for his 1975 hit "Love in the Hot Afternoon," his 1981 No. 1 hit " Fourteen Carat Mind," and his signature 1979 song " Farewell Party." Watson's l ...

, Hank Williams * "Pins and Needles (In My Heart)" (Floyd Jenkins) – Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes,

Darrell McCall Darrell McCall (born April 30, 1940) is a country music performer, known for his honky tonk and traditional country musical style at the height of his career in the 1960s, and his return to popularity during the Outlaw country era in the late ...

(on Mothers Best Show) * "Red Hot Henry Brown" (Rose) – The Charleston Chasers, Margaret Young * "Red Hot Mama" (Rose/Wells Gilbert/Bud Cooper) – Sophie Tucker, Cliff Edwards * " Roly Poly" (Rose) – Bob Wills, Carl Smith, Hank Williams,

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentlem ...

* "Settin' the Woods on Fire" (Rose/Ed G. Nelson) – Hank Williams,

Johnny Burnette John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny and his brother, Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison formed the band that became ...

* " Take These Chains From My Heart" (Rose/

Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

) – Hank Williams * " Texarkana Baby" (Rose/Clark) – Eddy Arnold, Bob Wills * "Waltz of the Wind" (Rose) – Roy Acuff, Carl Smith, Hank Locklin, Marty Robbins, Hank Williams

References

Works cited *

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

* Rumble, John. (1998). "Fred Rose." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 459.

External links

Fred Rose recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, Fred (songwriter) 1898 births 1954 deaths American street performers American country songwriters American male songwriters American music industry executives Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Musicians from Chicago Musicians from Evansville, Indiana Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee Vaudeville performers Writers from Evansville, Indiana 20th-century American musicians Songwriters from Tennessee Songwriters from Illinois Songwriters from Indiana Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville) 20th-century American male musicians