Rose Marie McCoy facts for kids

Rose Marie McCoy (born April 19, 1922 – died January 20, 2015) was an American songwriter. She started her career hoping to become a singer. But she became famous as a songwriter in the 1950s and 1960s. Many famous artists recorded her songs. She wrote over 800 songs! Some of these artists include Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown.

The Life of Rose Marie McCoy

Early Years and Dreams

Rose Marie Hinton was born on April 19, 1922. Her family lived in Oneida, Arkansas. Her father was a farmer. In 1942, she married James McCoy. She then moved to New York City with only $6. Her big dream was to become a singer.

She lived in Harlem, a famous part of New York. To earn money, she worked at a Chinese laundry. On weekends, she sang in nightclubs. Rose Marie McCoy performed at well-known places. These included the Baby Grand in Harlem. She also sang at the Flame Show Bar in Detroit. She even opened shows for stars like Ruth Brown and Dinah Washington.

Becoming a Songwriting Star

In 1952, Rose Marie McCoy wrote and sang two songs. These were for a new music company called Wheeler Records. The songs were "Cheating Blues" and "Georgie Boy Blues". Music publishers heard her songs. They quickly wanted to work with her. She soon started working at the Brill Building. This building in New York City was famous for songwriters.

One of her first big songs was "Gabbin' Blues". She wrote it with Leroy Kirkland. It was sung by Big Maybelle. Rose Marie McCoy even spoke some parts in the song! "Gabbin' Blues" became a huge hit. It reached number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart. This was a big success for both Big Maybelle and Rose Marie.

McCoy wrote more songs for Big Maybelle. She also wrote for other popular R&B artists. These included Louis Jordan. She helped write "Don't Be Angry" for Nappy Brown. This song was also popular with the Crew-Cuts.

Working with Other Writers

In 1954, Rose Marie McCoy started working with Charles Singleton. Their first hit together was "It Hurts Me to My Heart". Faye Adams recorded it in 1954. They worked together for about eight years. They wrote many hits for top artists.

Some of their famous songs include:

• "I Beg Of You" for Elvis Presley.
• "Trying to Get to You" for The Eagles (also recorded by Elvis Presley).
• "Mambo Baby" for Ruth Brown.
• "Little by Little" for Nappy Brown.

Their songs were also recorded by Nat King Cole and Eartha Kitt. Many other popular artists sang their tunes.

After working with Singleton, Rose Marie McCoy kept writing songs. She also worked with other writers. She was known for being very independent. She turned down offers from big music companies. These included Motown and Atlantic. She wanted to keep control of her own music.

One of her most successful songs was "It's Gonna Work Out Fine". She wrote it with Joe Seneca. Ike & Tina Turner released this song in 1961. It reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number 2 on the R&B chart. This song earned Ike & Tina Turner their first Grammy nomination.

She also worked with songwriter Helen Miller. They wrote "We'll Cry Together" for Maxine Brown. They also wrote "Got to See If I Can't Get Mommy (To Come Back Home)" for Jerry Butler.

A Wide Range of Music

Rose Marie McCoy is most known for R&B songs. But she wrote many other types of music. These included jazz, pop, rock 'n' roll, country, and gospel songs. Jazz singer Jimmy Scott recorded nine of her songs. Sarah Vaughan recorded six of her songs. Five of these were on Vaughan's 1974 album Send in the Clowns.

McCoy also wrote jingles for commercials. She wrote one for Coca-Cola. It was sung by Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.

A book about her life was published in 2014. It is called Thought We Were Writing the Blues: But They Called It Rock 'n' Roll.

Personal Life

In 1943, Rose Marie married James McCoy. He worked as a supervisor at the Ford Motor Company. James McCoy passed away in 2000. For over 50 years, Rose Marie lived in Teaneck, New Jersey. Later, she moved to Illinois to live with her niece, Helen Brown.

Passing Away

Rose Marie McCoy died on January 20, 2015. She was 92 years old. She passed away at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois.

Special Recognitions

In 2008, Community Works NYC honored McCoy. This was part of their "Ladies Singing the Blues" event. She received a long standing ovation. This happened at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. People cheered for her amazing contributions to music. Her song "It's gonna work out fine" played as she went to the stage.

In 2017, Rose Marie McCoy was added to the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. This was another great honor for her.

Discography

Singles

• 1951: "Cheating Blues" / "Georgie Boy" (Wheeler 102)
• 1954: "Dippin' In My Business / Down Here" (Cat 111)
• 1977: "I Do The Best I Can With What I Got" (Brunswick 55541)
• 2013: "Switch Around" (with Wallie Hoskins) (Beltone ST1005) – released later