Vincent Rose
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vincent Rose was a musician and band leader. b. 1880, Palermo, Italy, d. 1944, Rockville Center, NY, USA.
Vincent Rose has one of the longest histories as a band leader. He organized an orchestra in 1904 and successfully led that group into the forties. This is a record that may be unmatched by any other band leader.
He was very active in the 1920s as a songwriter. Among his hits are:
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- 1920 "Whispering"
- 1920 "Avalon", with lyrics by Al Jolson, a big hit for Jolson.
- 1923 "Linger Awhile"
- 1940 "Blueberry Hill"
There's an interesting sidelight to the song "Avalon". In 1921, the estate and the publisher of Puccini's operas, G. Ricordi, sued all parties associated with that song, claiming the melody was "lifted" from the aria "E lucevan le stella" from Puccini's opera "Tosca". The Court found for Puccini and his publisher, and they were awarded $25,000 in damages, plus all future royalties to "Avalon."
Rose was elected to the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
