Mitch Miller - Yellow Rose of Texas (HD)

Yellow Rose of Texas (1858) This song blossomed into full popularity over a hundred years after its birth. The song is really quite old. "The Yellow Rose of Texas" dates back to some years before the Civil War and was probably written shortly after the Mexican War (1846-1848). Texas, and the additional territory we acquired from Mexico (California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico), was much talked about in those days thus providing a good atmosphere for this song's later popularity. Originally this was, no doubt, a slave song with the "Yellow Rose" referring to a light skinned black woman. The song was first published in 1858 bearing the inscription "by J.K." but it did not have much of a chance since the Civil War began soon afterwards. When the war ended, however, "The Yellow Rose of Texas" climbed to a fairly good popularity which seems to have lasted for about twenty years. For the next seventy years or so, during America's periods of enormous growth and maturity, this song maintained a steady but rather low level of popularity - mostly regional. Along the way the song became one of the favorites of many notable people including President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1955 "The Yellow Rose of Texas" became nationally prominent. The song was revived through a fine recording of Mitch Miller's male chorus. The recording was spirited and exciting, and America's taste was ready for it. Miller's record sold enormously and within a few weeks this song swept the country. "The Yellow Rose of Texas" is back on the popular-song map to stay. ~The American Song Treasury by Theodore Raph [Question: Do the original lyrics, "The Yellow Rose of Texas beats the Belle of Tennessee" refer to Sam Houston's first marriage in 1829? "Sam Houston's marriage to Eliza Allen in Tennessee was a brief, scandalous, and historically mysterious event that triggered his resignation as governor and his move to Texas." If so, the "Yellow Rose of Texas" might be referring to his 3rd wife (1840) Margaret Lea Houston, the First Lady of the Republic of Texas, as this song was published in 1858.]