Sunday 19 April 2020

Rose Marie McCoy born 19 April 1921


Rose Marie McCoy (April 19, 1922 – January 20, 2015) was an American songwriter. She began her career as an aspiring singer before becoming a prolific songwriter during the 1950s and 1960s. Many artists have recorded some of the 850 songs or more she published, including Big Maybelle, James Brown, Ruth Brown, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Ike & Tina Turner.

McCoy was born Rose Marie Hinton to Levi and Celetia Brazil Hinton in Oneida, Arkansas on April 19, 1922. Her father was a farmer. She later married James McCoy and moved to New York City with $6 in her pocket to pursue a singing career in 1942. Living in Harlem, she supported herself by working at a Chinese laundry and performing at nightclubs on the weekends. McCoy eventually booked gigs at famous venues such as the Baby Grand in Harlem, the Flame Show Bar in Detroit, the Sportsmen’s Club in Cincinnati and Basin Street in Toronto. She he opened for performers like Ruth Brown, Moms Mabley, Dinah Washington, and Pigmeat Markham.


                             

In 1952, Rose Marie McCoy wrote and recorded two songs for the newly formed rhythm and blues label Wheeler Records, "Cheating Blues" and "Georgie Boy Blues". After publishers heard these songs they sought her out, and she started working in the Brill Building. 
One of the first songs she was asked to write was a half-spoken, half-sung song, "Gabbin' Blues", co-written with Leroy Kirkland, and sung by Big Maybelle with the spoken part provided by McCoy herself. "Gabbin' Blues", which reached #3 on the Billboard R&B chart, was the first big hit for Big Maybelle and the songwriter's first hit. McCoy wrote other songs for Big Maybelle, and other popular R&B artists including Louis Jordan and co-wrote, with Fred Mendelsohn, Nappy Brown's 1955 single "Don't Be Angry" (also recorded for the pop market by the Crew-Cuts).

In 1954, Rose Marie McCoy teamed with songwriter Charles Singleton. They soon scored their first hit, "It Hurts Me to My Heart", recorded in 1954 by Faye Adams. Their collaboration lasted about eight years and, individually and together, they penned many hits for the top artists of the time, including Elvis Presley's "I Beg 
Of You", The Eagles' "Trying to Get to You", Ruth Brown's "Mambo Baby", and Nappy Brown's "Little by Little". Singleton & McCoy tunes were also recorded by Nat King Cole ("If I May", "My Personal Possession"), Little Willie John ("Letter from My Darling"), Eartha Kitt, Eddy Arnold, Big Joe Turner, The Du Droppers, Little Esther, The Clovers, and many other top artists of the time.

After the Singleton and McCoy team split up, Rose Marie McCoy continued to write songs on her own and collaborated with other writers. Noted for her independent stance, McCoy turned down several opportunities to join major record labels such as Motown, Stax and Atlantic. One of her most successful songs was "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", co-written with Joe Seneca, which was released by Ike & Tina Turner in 1961. 
Rose with Charles Singleton
It reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart, earning them their first Grammy nomination. She also collaborated successfully with songwriter Helen Miller, writing "We'll Cry Together" for Maxine Brown, and "Got to See If I Can't Get Mommy (To Come Back Home)" for Jerry Butler.

McCoy received offers to become a staff songwriter with many top labels such as Motown, Atlantic, and Stax Record, but she turned them down, preferring to be independent so she could keep control of her music.  Though she is most often associated with songs recorded by R&B artists of the 1950s and 1960s, McCoy kept 
working in the '70s. Sarah Vaughan recorded six of her songs, five of them on the singer's 1974 album Send in the Clowns. McCoy also composed jingles, including one sung by Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles for Coca-Cola.

In 2006, when American Songwriter Magazine paid tribute to nine all time great songwriters, Rose Marie McCoy was the only female named. McCoy was honoured by Community Works NYC in their 2008 exhibition and concert series "Ladies Singing the Blues." McCoy received a five-minute standing ovation during the award ceremony at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City for her contribution to music. To the delight of the audience, "It's gonna work out fine" was played as she was escorted to the stage. In 2009 she was inducted in the Arkensas Black Hall Of Fame.

In 1943, McCoy married James McCoy, a supervisor at the Ford Motor Company. He died in 2000. For over 50 years, McCoy was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey until she relocated to live with her niece Helen Brown, in Illinois.

With more than 850 songs to her name, reflecting America’s history and development from the mi 20th century to the present, McCoy faced one obvious question: “Out of all the songs you’ve written, which one is your favourite?”
- Without missing a beat. She smiled and said “The last one I heard playing on the radio.”

McCoy died at the age of 92 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois on January 20, 2015.

(Edited from Wikipedia & end quote from newjersey.com)

7 comments:

boppinbob said...


For “The Songs of Rose Marie McCoy - Very Truly Yours” go here:

https://mega.nz/#!qs8DAKIJ!pu3uI8jY7qDoRkEOBCWzgbPsIr_WjyHRWTCAuoN5Kyo

Disc 1

THE SINGER
1. CHEATING BLUES - ROSE MARIE McCOY
2. GEORGIE BOY BLUES - ROSE MARIE McCOY
3. DIPPIN' IN MY BUSINESS - ROSE MARIE McCOY
4. DOWN HERE - ROSE MARIE McCOY
5. DON'T CALL THE WAGON (Cause Nothin's Wrong With Me) - CHARLIE AND ROSIE
6. TOODLE LOO TENNESSEE - CHARLIE AND ROSIE
7. REMEMBERING - ROSE MARIE McCOY
8. JOY AND JUBILATION - ROSE MARIE McCOY
THE SONGWRITER
9. GABBIN' BLUES (Don't Run My Business) - BIG MAYBELLE
10. HOUSE PARTY - LOUIS JORDAN
11. LOVE CONTEST - RUTH BROWN
12. HONEY BUNCH - THE DU DROPPERS
13. I'M GETTING 'LONG ALRIGHT - BIG MAYBELLE
14. IF I HAD ANY SENSE - RUTH BROWN
15. DON'T TAKE IT SO HARD - EARL CONNELLY KING
16. I'M INNOCENT - DICKIE THOMPSON
17. SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, SOMEDAY - FAYE ADAMS
18. 'LIZABETH - THE THRILLERS
19. MAMBO BABY - RUTH BROWN
20. ONE MONKEY DON'T STOP NO SHOW - BIG MAYBELLE
21. IT HURTS ME TO MY HEART - FAYE ADAMS
22. BOOT 'EM UP - THE DU DROPPERS
23. EVER SINCE MY BABY'S BEEN GONE - RUTH BROWN
24. IF I HAD ANY SENSE I'D GO BACK HOME - LOUIS JORDAN
25. IF YOU JUST DON'T LEAVE - THE DU DROPPERS
26. DOGGONE IT, YOU DID IT - THE FIVE KEYS
27. EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY - LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT
28. LOOK ME IN THE EYES - THE 5 WILLOWS

Disc 2

THE SONGWRITER (Cont.)
1. DON'T BE ANGRY - NAPPY BROWN
2. DON'T YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU - THE FIVE KEYS
3. PIDDILY PATTER, PATTER - PATTI PAGE
4. I'LL NEVER DECEIVE YOU - LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT
5. RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER - THE 5 ROYALES
6. TALK THAT TALK - THE DU DROPPERS
7. MY CLUMSY HEART - THE CADETS
8. IF YOU ONLY KNEW - LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT
9. I COULD LOVE YOU - THE 5 ROYALES
10. SAME OLE ME - FAYE ADAMS
11. PIDDILY PATTER PATTER - THE BURTON SISTERS
12. ONE NIGHT ONLY - OTIS WILLIAMS AND HIS CHARMS
13. TRYING TO GET TO YOU - ELVIS PRESLEY
14. LITTLE BY LITTLE - NAPPY BROWN
15. ONE KIND WORD FROM YOU - OTIS WILLIAMS AND HIS CHARMS
16. LETTER FROM MY DARLING - LITTLE WILLIE JOHN
17. ONE MORE TIME - RUTH BROWN
18. DON'T DENY ME - OTIS WILLIAMS AND HIS CHARMS
19. THAT DOOD IT - JAMES BROWN
20. TRYING TO GET TO YOU - JOEY CASTELL
21. MY PERSONAL POSSESSION - NAT KING COLE
22. I BEG OF YOU - ELVIS PRESLEY
23. VERY TRULY YOURS - TED TAYLOR
24. I BURNED YOUR LETTER - THE FIVE KEYS
25. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS CRYING - LAVERN BAKER
26 READY FOR LOVE - JIMMY JONES
27. IT'S GONNA WORK OUT FINE - IKE AND TINA TURNER


Rose Marie McCoy was a prolific songwriter, active from the late 1940s she produced a huge body of work, much of which lives on today.This superb 2CD set from Jasmine primarily focuses on Rose Marie McCoy the songwriter and as such includes a plethora of magnificent songs and hits from the likes of: Big Maybelle; Ruth Brown; Little Jimmy Scott; Patti Page; Elvis Presley; James Brown; Nat King Cole; Ike and Tina Turner and more. Plus 8 tracks from Rose Marie McCoy 'The Singer,' including the excellent 'Cheating Blues' and 'Georgie Boy Blues'.

Also included are the hits 'Mambo Baby', 'It Hurts Me To My Heart', 'Don't Be Angry', 'I Beg of You' and 'It's Gonna Work Out Fine'. (Jasmine notes)

A very big thank you to DaniRoxiCalifornia @ Loadsamusics Forum for active link

Crab Devil said...

This looks great -- thank you very much!

Bob Mac said...

Big thanks for this, very much appreciated.

Gill said...

This sounds like a real Gem! Thanks a million. Stay Safe. Be Well.

Pete Cost said...

File no longer available on MEGA. Sad :(

boppinbob said...

Here you are Pete. valid for 30 days
https://krakenfiles.com/view/443aae93f6/file.html

Pete Cost said...

Wow, thanks so much, Bob!