William "Billy" Rose (September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an
American impresario,
theatrical showman and
lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "
Me and My Shadow" (1927), "
Without A Song" (1929), "It Happened in Monterrey" (1930) and "
It's Only a Paper Moon" (1933). For decades preceding and immediately after the
Second World War Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with shows, such as
Jumbo (1935),
Billy Rose's Aquacade, and
Carmen Jones (1943), his Diamond Horseshoe nightclub, and the
Ziegfeld Theatre influencing the careers of many stars. Billy Rose was inducted as a member of the
Songwriter's Hall of Fame. After divorcing comedian
Fanny Brice, he married Olympic swimmer
Eleanor Holm.