Thought We Were Writing the Blues: But They Called It Rock & Roll - Paperback

by Arlene Corsano (Author)

"Thanks to the many detailed quotes from McCoy herself, this book has the vibrancy missing from other, drier books written about the period. McCoy's tales of the Brill Building era paint a fascinating picture as she encounters and gains the respect of all the male movers and shakers of the business. A genuine first-hand account of the music scene in pre-60s New York and how McCoy paved the way for writers such as Carole King and Ellie Greenwich." Kingsley Abbott for Record Collector Magazine. "She knew how to hang in there with the big boys. Women didn't have a place, so she made a place for herself." singer Maxine Brown. Nearly everyone has heard a Rose Marie McCoy song, but few know her name, even though many of the over 850 songs she had written were recorded by some of the biggest names in the business. Elvis Presley, Nat "King" Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Ike & Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Peggy Lee; the list goes on and on. And she did it as an independent songwriter, without the backing of a music publisher to promote her work. Quite a feat for a poor black farmers daughter from Arkansas.

Author Biography

Had it not been for a 2001 chance meeting between Rose Marie McCoy and Arlene Corsano, the details of this amazing songwriter might have been lost forever. Corsano had been writing articles for newspapers and magazines when she met the fascinating, but nearly forgotten, Rose Marie McCoy. With the intention of correcting an important piece of music history Corsano then introduced McCoy's legacy to several institutions which have since honored this legendary songwriter, including the Smithsonian Institute and the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. The writer feels blessed to have been friends with the talented, determined, warm and witty Rose Marie McCoy.