On This Day in 1954, Country Music Said Goodbye to the Man Who Made Hank Williams Famous and Penned One of Willie Nelson’s Biggest Hits

On this day (December 1) in 1954, Fred Rose died from a heart attack in Nashville, at the age of 56. He was one of the first to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and for good reason. Rose helped Hank Williams secure his major-label record deal. Additionally, he wrote multiple timeless songs, including the Willie Nelson classic “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

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Rose’s music career began early. As a child, he helped supplement his family’s income by playing piano in local clubs. In his late teens, Rose moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he continued making money by performing in bars on the south side of the city.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1975, a 42-Year-Old Willie Nelson Proved It’s Never Too Late, Notching His First No. 1 With a Classic Popularized by Roy Acuff]

While he would become one of the most consequential figures in the history of country music, his career didn’t begin in the genre. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, he wrote several successful jazz and pop songs in the 1920s. In the 1930s, he moved to Nashville, where he began working on WSM, the home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Fred Rose, Roy Acuff, and Hank Williams

In the early 1940s, there were few country stars bigger than Roy Acuff. Fred Rose partnered with him to form Acuff-Rose Music, the first major country music publishing house in Nashville. Together, they wrote and plugged many of the genre’s biggest songs. Additionally, they opened their doors to young up-and-coming songwriters.

Acuff-Rose provided many artists with hit songs. However, none of their regular clients was as successful as Hank Williams. He didn’t just record songs from the publishing company’s catalog, though. Rose served as his producer for most of his career. Additionally, Rose helped get Williams his recording contract with MGM. He found major success after signing with a major label.

Rose Wrote Multiple Country Classics

Fred Rose, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and one of the first to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, did much to shape Nashville and country music. His production skills and tireless work as a talent scout and A&R professional were only part of his legacy in the industry. He also wrote or co-wrote multiple classic songs.

For instance, he wrote “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” which was a major hit for Willie Nelson in 1975.

Rose and Hank Williams wrote “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.” Williams took the song to No. 1 in 1952. They also wrote the 1953 No. 1 single “Kaw-Liga.”

Rose co-wrote “Settin’ the Wood on Fire” with Ed G. Nelson. Williams made it a hit in 1952. Porter Wagoner, George Jones, and Little Richard are among the other artists who recorded a version of the song.

He also wrote and co-wrote songs recorded by Asleep at the Wheel, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Marty Robbins, Dottie West, Hank Locklin, and many more.

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