{{Short description|American comedian and singer-songwriter (1937–2023)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{pp|small=yes}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Biff Rose | image = Biff Rose.png | caption = | birth_name = Paul Conrad Rose III | birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|10|15}} | birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|7|25|1937|10|15}} | death_place = Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|||}} | occupation = {{hlist|Comedian|singer-songwriter}} | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|piano}} | years_active = {{hlist|1964–2023}} | label = {{hlist|Tetragrammaton|Buddah|United Artists|Pacific Arts|RPM}} }}
''' Biff Rose''', born '''Paul Conrad Rose III''' (October 15, 1937 – July 25, 2023), was an American comedian and singer-songwriter.
==Biography== Rose<ref>Lindsay, Sally (July 17, 1971). [https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=74157256 "Youth Beat"]. ''Pottsville Republican''. Page 27. Retrieved March 23, 2021.</ref> was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 15, 1937.<ref name="BR's BD">[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJGV-JYN9 Paul Conrad Rose, III United States Public Records, 1970–2009]. FamilySearch. Retrieved March 23, 2021.</ref><ref>O'Leary, Chris (2015). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ggTmBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT139 Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie From '64 to '76]''. John Hunt Publishing. {{ISBN|1780997132}}.</ref> After moving to New york, he joined the Greenwich Village folk scene as a banjo-playing singer/comedian. His popularity led to a New York Times profile.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 14, 1964 |title=Folk Comedian Picks Audience As Target of Ethnic-Cult Barbs; Biff Rose, Banjoist, Performs Topical-Satirical Ditties at the Gaslight Cafe |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/14/archives/folk-comedian-picks-audience-as-target-of-ethniccult-barbs-biff.html |access-date=2023-08-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Rose used the profile to generate momentum in his career. He moved to Hollywood where he worked as an actor and writer. While working in television, Rose met Paul Williams. The duo started a short songwriting partnership and composed several songs including ‘Fill Your Heart’, which was covered by David Bowie and ‘When Love is Far Away’, featured in Crazy Rich Asians.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2013 |title=Interview: Paul Williams |url=https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interview-paul-williams/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Film Comment |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Crazy Rich Asians (2018) – Soundtracks – IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3104988/soundtrack/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>
After releasing his debut album in 1968 Rose made a handful of appearances on Johnny Carson's ''The Tonight Show''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-aow/column6.php |title=Columns: April 1969 |publisher=Robert Christgau |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.johnnycarson.com/carson/search.do?singleDateMonth=12&singleDateDay=11&singleDateYear=1970 |title=The Official Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson web site |access-date=September 11, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927224331/http://www.johnnycarson.com/carson/search.do?singleDateMonth=12&singleDateDay=11&singleDateYear=1970 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After the Carson exposure, Rose performed on several other TV programs including ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'',<ref name="Smothersbrothers.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.smothersbrothers.com/episodes.htm |title=Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour – Episode Schedule |publisher=Smothersbrothers.com |access-date=March 18, 2013 |archive-date=August 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811045101/http://smothersbrothers.com/episodes.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''American Bandstand'',<ref>{{cite web|author=TV.com |url=http://www.tv.com/joe-south---biff-rose---rhetta-hughes/episode/168294/summary.html |title=American Bandstand – Season 13, Episode 21: Joe South / Biff Rose / Rhetta Hughes |publisher=TV.com |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref> and ''Playboy After Dark''.
Biff Rose died from liver cancer at 85 in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biff Rose |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/biff-rose-obituary?pid=205018611 |website=Legacy |access-date=September 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Paul "Biff" Rose ~ American comedian / singer-songwriter passed away at the age of 85 at his home in Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday July 25th. |url=https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=pfbid02uommcUQvD2ei8KAtHMexVZhEKK4RmxWXVdFokFM2kKqAvgsWiYWjRcxDYBihdNdGl&id=587643584 |website=Biff Rose on Facebook |access-date=September 8, 2023 |date=July 28, 2023}}</ref>
==Music== Rose's first release was 1968's ''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side'', which contained the song "Buzz the Fuzz".
The song "Fill Your Heart" is Rose's best known composition. Co-written by Paul Williams, the song was covered Tiny Tim on the B-side of his 1968 hit single "Tiptoe through the Tulips".
David Bowie recorded Rose's song ‘Fill Your Heart’ for his 1971 album ''Hunky Dory''.
Yes Keyboard player Rick Wakeman worked as a session musician on Hunky Dory .<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rick Wakeman: On 'Piano Portraits,' David Bowie, Yes in the Rock Hall of Fame and More (Q&A) |url=http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2017/01/12/rick-wakeman-interview-piano-portraits-yes-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-david-bowie/#sthash.JywzZriC.dpbs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122175254/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2017/01/12/rick-wakeman-interview-piano-portraits-yes-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-david-bowie/#sthash.JywzZriC.dpbs |archive-date=January 22, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2017}}</ref> He noted, "I remember going out and getting a Biff Rose album myself as he had obviously influenced David."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rick Wakeman: On 'Piano Portraits,' David Bowie, Yes in the Rock Hall of Fame and More (Q&A) – Rock Cellar Magazine |url=https://rockcellarmagazine.com/rick-wakeman-interview-piano-portraits-yes-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-david-bowie/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=rockcellarmagazine.com|date=January 12, 2017 }}</ref>
A young Bruce Springsteen opened up for Biff Rose at Max's Kansas City in February 1973.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biff Rose / Bruce Springsteen |url=https://rocktourdatabase.com/content/biff-rose-bruce-springsteen-1 |access-date=2023-08-15}}</ref> In attendance that evening was David Bowie who had gone specifically to see Biff.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=July 30, 2018 |title=David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen: The History of an Unlikely Friendship |url=https://22ndrow.home.blog/2018/07/30/david-bowie-and-bruce-springsteen-the-history-of-an-unlikely-friendship/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=The 22nd Row |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=David Bowie's Animated First Reaction To Bruce Springsteen (a top story)::David Bowie News ::antiMusic.com |url=https://www.antimusic.com/news/14/August/ts18David_Bowies_Animated_First_Reaction_To_Bruce_Springsteen.shtml |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=www.antimusic.com}}</ref>
Rose's songs have been recorded by John Denver, Vetiver (band) and Pat Boone.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tracks on Departure – Pat Boone (1969) {{!}} SecondHandSongs |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/release/5195 |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=secondhandsongs.com}}</ref> Cat Stevens counts Rose as an influence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cat Stevens |url=https://www.majicat.com/articles/sterereview72.htm |access-date=2023-08-15}}</ref>
== Racist Statements == In October 2017, Indy Week pointed out that Rose's website contained "blatantly racist and anti-Semitic material." Interviewer Nate Waggoner said Rose "expresses some views that are definitely not my own." In a published emailed rebuttal, Rose offered racist ideas about Islam as a defense against being anti-Semitic.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=August 18, 2014 |title=An Interview with Biff Rose, Truly Weird Part of Music History |url=https://thetuskdotcom.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/an-interview-with-biff-rose-truly-weird-part-of-music-history/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=The Tusk |language=en}}</ref> He continued to post racist and anti-Semitic language and ideas on his websites and social media accounts, including drawings that used visual ethnic stereotypes and graphic depictions of homophobia and misogyny.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indyweek.com/music/archives/2017/10/05/heading-to-biff-rose-tonight-you-might-want-to-check-his-website|title=Heading to Biff Rose Tonight? You Might Want to Check His Website|date=October 5, 2017|last=Hussey|first=Allison|access-date=March 12, 2019|archive-date=July 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729230510/https://www.indyweek.com/music/archives/2017/10/05/heading-to-biff-rose-tonight-you-might-want-to-check-his-website|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tusk2.com/2014/08/18/an-interview-with-biff-rose-truly-weird-part-of-music-history/ |title=An Interview with Biff Rose, Truly Weird Part of Music History |date=August 1, 2014|last=Waggoner|first=Nate|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304192620/http://www.tusk2.com/2014/08/18/an-interview-with-biff-rose-truly-weird-part-of-music-history/ |access-date=March 12, 2019|archive-date=March 4, 2019 }}</ref>
==Full-length releases== {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="3"| Chart positions |- ! style="width:50px;"| <small>US</small><br/><ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Top LPs, 1955–1996 | year = 1996 | publisher = Record Research | page = 126 | url = https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstoplp00whit/page/126/mode/2up | access-date = 2025-07-10}}</ref> ! style="width:50px;"| <small>US CB</small><br/><ref>{{cite book| last = Hoffmann| first = Frank W.| title = ''Cash Box Pop Albums Charts, 1950–1993''| publisher = Libraries Unlimited| year = 1996| pages = 318| url = https://archive.org/details/cashboxalbumchar0000hoff/page/318| access-date = 2025-08-21| quote = Reference to the listing for Rodgers-related entries on page 318.}}</ref> |- | 1968 |''The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side'' | style="text-align:center;"| 75 | style="text-align:center;"| 89 |- | 1969 |''Children of Light'' | style="text-align:center;"| 181 | style="text-align:center;"| — |- | 1970 |''Biff Rose''{{efn|some copies titled ''Ride On''}} | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- | 1971 |''Half Live at the Bitter End''<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: R|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=R&bk=70|access-date=March 12, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- | 1972 | ''Uncle Jesus, Aunty Christ'' | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- | 1973 | ''Hamburger Blues''<ref>{{Cite web |title=HAMBURGER BLUES, by Biff Rose |url=https://biffrose.bandcamp.com/album/hamburger-blues |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Biff Rose |language=en}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- | 1978 |''Roast Beef'' | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- | 1979 |''Thee Messiah Album/Live at Gatsby's'' | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- |} {{notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Stevenson, Salli. [https://archive.org/details/ucladailybruin52losa/page/n281 "An Outasight Rap with Biff Rose; Far Out! (or 'Marching Through Georgia')"]. ''UCLA Daily Bruin''. February 4, 1970. * Dawson, Jim. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/s23u7f254cu5z6i/.png "Biff Rose back at the piano after some burned-out years"]. ''The Baltimore Sun''. May 29, 1978.
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.biffrose.biz/}} * Bandcamp http://www.biffrose.bandcamp.com/
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, Biff}} Category:1937 births Category:2023 deaths Category:American male singers Category:Songwriters from Louisiana Category:American comedy musicians Category:Musicians from New Orleans Category:American male songwriters Category:Singers from New Orleans