Fred Rose began his career playing piano in rough Chicago honky-tonks and had a stint as a songwriter in New York City, but will forever be remembered as one of the men who turned Nashville into a thriving music business epicenter. With his partner Roy Acuff, Rose founded Nashville's first formidable publishing house, Acuff-Rose, and helped guide the talents of many of its greatest songwriters like Hank Williams and Felice and Bordeleaux Bryant. An influential talent scout and producer, Rose was a masterful songwriter in his own right, penning many enduring classics such as "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "Settin' the Woods on Fire," and "Kaw-Liga."