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Paul Conrad Rose III (October 15, 1937 – July 25, 2023), better known as Biff Rose, was an American stand-up comedian and singer-songwriter.

Biography

Paul Conrad Rose III was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 15, 1937. He started out in the Greenwich Village folk scene as a banjo playing singer/comedian. His popularity there prompted a 1964 NY Times profile on the young singer. Rose then moved to Hollywood where he worked alongside George Carlin and John Davidson as an actor and writer on The Kraft Summer Music Hall. Rose also worked on The Mort Sahl Show as an improvisational actor and writer. It was there that he met Paul Williams, which resulted in their short lived songwriting partnership. Together they wrote the songs ‘Fill Your Heart’, ‘I'll Walk Away’, ‘Someday’ and ‘When Love is Far Away’, the latter of which was featured in the film Crazy Rich Asians.

Following the release of 1968's The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side, Rose made over 10 appearances on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show from 1968 to 1970. Rose performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, American Bandstand, The David Frost Show,The Merv Griffin Show and Hugh Hefner's Playboy After Dark. He emceed the Atlantic City Pop Festival of 1969 and the Atlanta Pop Festival of 1970.

Biff Rose died from liver cancer at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 25, 2023. He was 85.

Music

Rose recorded his first two records for Tetragrammaton Records. His first release was 1968's The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side, which contained his hit single "Buzz the Fuzz".

The song "Fill Your Heart" is Rose's best known composition. Co-written with Paul Williams, the song was adopted by Tiny Tim as the B-side of his 1968 hit single "Tiptoe through the Tulips" before Rose's own release. Following these releases, David Bowie made a recording of the song.

“Biff Rose and I wrote the song. He had started it – I think he had the first verse down, and I came in somewhere around ‘The dragons have been bled.’ I just started writing lyrics to it. He's the first one who went to A&M Records and played them all the songs he'd written, including some that I'd written. They signed him, and then they wanted to see me as well. I wound up with a record deal”—-Paul Williams on Fill Your Heart.

Besides Rose's songs having been recorded by David Bowie and Tiny Tim (musician), they have also been recorded by John Denver (‘Molly’), indie group, Vetiver (‘To Baby’) and Pat Boone (‘What's Gnawing at Me’ and ‘Molly’). Singer-songwriter Cat Stevens counts Rose as an early influence.

Songwriter, lyricist Van Dyke Parks played the Moog on Rose's ‘Evolution’—a track off of his second album, ‘Children of Light’.

A then unknown Bruce Springsteen opened up for Biff Rose at Max's Kansas City in February 1973. In attendance that evening was David Bowie who had gone specifically to see Biff. Bowie ended up being taken with the young Springsteen, who he'd at first dismissed as merely a “Dylan copyist.”.

Influence on David Bowie

Most famously, Rose's song ‘Fill Your Heart’ was recorded by David Bowie on his seminal album Hunky Dory (1971).

Prior to joining the progressive rock band Yes, keyboard player Rick Wakeman worked as a session musician on Hunky Dory and commented that Rose's version had "obviously influenced David" in the recording—-so much so that on the hand-written back cover sleeve for Hunky Dory, Bowie wrote “Biff” in parenthesis, under the song's title. Bowie also covered Rose's song, ‘Buzz the Fuzz’, in live concerts recorded from the early 70's.

Wakeman is quoted in an interview saying that “David Bowie's hero vocally, was Biff Rose.”

Wakeman: “He played me some tracks by Biff Rose too and I remember going out and getting a Biff Rose album myself as he had obviously influenced David and I wanted to involve myself in David's influences in order to give my very best for the Hunky Dory music.”—-Rick Wakeman (speaking about preparation for recording Hunky Dory)

“Bowie and I met one time, January 31, 1973 . I opened for Springsteen the night he became a star, Max's Kansas City, NYC. Herb Gart got me the gig. Herb managed Don McLean and sold ‘Bye Bye Miss American Pie’ to the world. The NY papers all said I was headlining and in small print below – “also appearing: Bruce Springsteen”. Bowie was a ‘tourist’ who just happened to be in town and came to see me, but fell in love with Bruce. Nevertheless, Bowie came up to me after the show with this shit-eating grin on his face staring down. He's taller. I said: “Thank you for doing ‘Fill Your Heart’, but did you have to sop the whole arrangement?” He seemed not to hear me or grasp what I was saying, but kept smiling.” —-Biff Rose

Racism Allegations

In October 2017, Indy Week pointed out that Rose's website contained "blatantly racist and anti-Semitic material." In an interview with Nate Waggoner, 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. He continued to post racist and anti-Semitic language and ideas, including drawings that utilized visual ethnic stereotypes and graphic depictions of homophobia and misogyny.

Full-length releases

• The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side (1968, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddha)
• Children of Light (1969, Tetragrammaton, re-released on Buddha)
• Biff Rose (1970, Buddha)
• Half Live at the Bitter End (1971, Buddah)
• Uncle Jesus, Aunty Christ (1972, United Artists)
• Hamburger Blues (Biff Rose and Wall Matthews) (1973 Sweet Jane LTD.)
• Roast Beef (1978, Pacific Arts)
• Thee Messiah Album/Live at Gatsby's (1979, Pacific Arts)

References

1. Lindsay, Sally (July 17, 1971). "Youth Beat". Pottsville Republican. Page 27. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
2. Paul Conrad Rose, III United States Public Records, 1970-2009. FamilySearch. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
3. O'Leary, Chris (2015). Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie From '64 to '76. John Hunt Publishing. ISBN 1780997132.
4. "Folk Comedian Picks Audience As Target of Ethnic‐Cult Barbs; Biff Rose, Banjoist, Performs Topical‐Satirical Ditties at the Gaslight Cafe". The New York Times. November 14, 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
5. "Seven Dirty Words: The Life and Crimes of George Carlin". Retrieved August 15, 2023.
6. "Interview: Paul Williams". Film Comment. February 27, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
7. Crazy Rich Asians (2018) - Soundtracks - IMDb, retrieved August 15, 2023
8. "Columns: April 1969". Robert Christgau. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
9. "The Official Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson web site". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2005.
10. "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour – Episode Schedule". Smothersbrothers.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
11. TV.com. "American Bandstand – Season 13, Episode 21: Joe South / Biff Rose / Rhetta Hughes". TV.com. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
12. "The David Frost Show" Episode #2.43 (TV Episode 1969) - IMDb, retrieved August 15, 2023
13. "BR's Classic Rock Photos – Atlantic City Pop Festival". E-rockworld.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
14. "August 2000 the Psychedelic News Music Ezine". Archived from the original on April 5, 2005. Retrieved September 11, 2005.
15. "Biff Rose". Legacy. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
16. "Paul "Biff" Rose ~ American comedian / singer-songwriter passed away at the age of 85 at his home in Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday July 25th". Biff Rose on Facebook. July 28, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
17. Bosso, Joe (June 24, 2014). "Songwriting legend Paul Williams on 13 career-defining records". MusicRadar. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
18. "Tracks on Departure - Pat Boone (1969) | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
19. "Cat Stevens". Retrieved August 15, 2023.
20. Biff Rose - Children of Light Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved August 15, 2023
21. "Biff Rose / Bruce Springsteen". Retrieved August 15, 2023.
22. "David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen: The History of an Unlikely Friendship". The 22nd Row. July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
23. "David Bowie's Animated First Reaction To Bruce Springsteen (a top story)::David Bowie News ::antiMusic.com". www.antimusic.com. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
24. "Rick Wakeman: On 'Piano Portraits,' David Bowie, Yes in the Rock Hall of Fame and More (Q&A)". Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
25. "Buzz The Fuzz | The Bowie Bible". www.bowiebible.com. April 15, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
26. "Metal Discovery: Interview with Rick Wakeman - 28th July 2010". www.metal-discovery.com. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
27. "Rick Wakeman: On 'Piano Portraits,' David Bowie, Yes in the Rock Hall of Fame and More (Q&A) - Rock Cellar Magazine". rockcellarmagazine.com. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
28. "Fill Your Heart | The Bowie Bible". www.bowiebible.com. November 17, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
29. "An Interview with Biff Rose, Truly Weird Part of Music History". The Tusk. August 18, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
30. Hussey, Allison (October 5, 2017). "Heading to Biff Rose Tonight? You Might Want to Check His Website". Retrieved March 12, 2019.
31. Waggoner, Nate (August 1, 2014). "An Interview with Biff Rose, Truly Weird Part of Music History". Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
32. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
33. "HAMBURGER BLUES, by Biff Rose". Biff Rose. Retrieved August 15, 2023.

Further reading

• Stevenson, Salli. "An Outasight Rap with Biff Rose; Far Out! (or 'Marching Through Georgia')". UCLA Daily Bruin. February 4, 1970.
• Dawson, Jim. "Biff Rose back at the piano after some burned-out years". The Baltimore Sun. May 29, 1978.

External links

• Official website

• Bandcamp http://www.biffrose.bandcamp.com/

• 1937 births
• 2023 deaths
• American male singers
• Songwriters from Louisiana
• American comedy musicians
• Musicians from New Orleans
• American male songwriters