Rosie DeRosia sings Bill Bailey Water Street Pavilion-Flint, MI

Rose Mary DeRosia, one of Flint's all-time great characters. I taped this when I worked at Water Street Pavilion in downtown in 1988.
"Rosie," as she was universally known, had one true love in life: singing. Her theme song was "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey," and for years she would belt it out anyplace, anytime - especially if there was a band or a crowd nearby.
Physically disabled and a survivor of 30 years in a mental institution, she was not homeless but spent much of her time on Flint streets, hitch-hiking to get around.
Rosie got her moment in the limelight for her 68th birthday, in 1987, when 500 people came out to hear her sing - backed by some of Flint's top musicians - in a concert put on just for her at the Windmill Place marketplace.
Rosie died March 18, 1990, after being hit by a car. Benefit concerts and fundraisers paid for a complete funeral and a headstone inscribed with the opening notes of "Bill Bailey."
Copyright Steve Hester, Zoom Digital Media. Want to use it? Just Ask and Give Credit.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Water Street Pavilion
• Rosie DeRosia
• Flint
• Downtown Flint

[flintgeezer]

Yes Skater-She did have a big birthday show where all the locals let her sing and sing and sing. She was honored after death by all of flint's finest-they even chipped in on a headstone that had the first few bars of "Bill Baily" on it

She was persistent-for sure-but I think she never Grabbed a mic away from a performer to my information-and I saw her A Lot. Many bands-just let her sing one at the end-cause, Well..It was Rosie.

[FlintboyG]

I was a doorman at The Light in the early 80's and Rosie would come there often. Gave her a few rides home. She was one of a kind.. an all time great character for sure. Thanks for posting this.

[djburtucky]

I remember eating as a kid at Churchill's or Billys and this old lady just started singing and everyone just stopped. What a voice....

[Swaltrip1]

ROSIE lived in my neighborhood on wolfitt in mt. Morris. MI. I was just a child...but I remember her vividly. She loved singing this song. She liked to chat with anyone who would take the time. I have only fond memories of her. Thank you so much for posting this video. So much time has gone by, and I had forgotten her, thank you for her memory tonight.

- A fond Admirer of ROSIE

[VavieDugan]

OMG Rosie was my IDOL!!! I loved Rosie...she would always sit in with my band at Wild Bills and sing "Bill Bailey" and sing "Maneater"...that was some funny stuff!! God bless her!!! She would "bum" rides from people and sing for drinks...my parents were at Wild Bills watching me sing and they gave her a ride! My mom sent me her obituary when she died. I love ROSEY!

[skaterdave45]

I saw her on at least a half dozen occasions, pretty much grab the mic from folks during concerts in Riverfront park, usually near the end of the show (not always). She did more than Bill Bailey, but not all the time, and less and less as time went on. Someone told me she got set up with a show of her own one time after I'd moved away.... any truth to this? I left Flint in '83.

[13capzero]

I'm sorry I missed Rosie alive, but I'm delighted to have this video record for my Flint archives.

[ricaard]

I miss her. She would come into Conto's once a month or so and sing...