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60 years ago: 'The Yellow Rose of Texas' trumps 'Rock Around the Clock'

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Today's Morning Edition music segment features "The Yellow Rose of Texas" by Mitch Miller and the Gang. This version of the old American folk song topped the Billboard pop chart 60 years ago this week. The song's success ended Bill Haley and his Comets' eight-week run in the top spot with "Rock Around the Clock."

"The Yellow Rose of Texas," which dates to 1853, was originally performed in minstrel shows and told the story of an inter-racial relationship. The lyrics were changed when it became a Confederate marching song during the Civil War.