Rose Maddox (Born Roselea Brogdon)
August 15, 1925 – April 15, 1998
Rose Maddox was a country singer, musician and songwriter who performed with her siblings as Maddox Brothers and Rose during the late ’30s and early ’40s. When her brothers went off to serve their country in WWII, Rose continued as a solo act and later rejoined the boys upon their return. And even though they were considered a “hillbilly” band, they were most popular in California, likely due to its growing population of Southern immigrants. They have been called the “greatest hillbilly band of all time,” while Rose has been referred to as the “grandmother of rockabilly.” After the group disbanded in the late ’50s, Rose signed to Capitol Records as a solo act. She scored several Top 20 hits including a #4 hit duet with Buck Owens. In the mid ’60s, Rose switched gears a bit and started performing bluegrass. She found a new audience among the folk revivalists of the era. She continued recording and performing occasionally well into the ’90s, even earning a Grammy nomination in 1996. She died of kidney failure in 1998 at the age of 71.
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