A songwriter, pianist, and comedian, Biff Rose was a cheerful anomaly in the rock & roll scene of the 1960s and '70s, a tunesmith whose music had more to do with classic stride piano than rock, and whose storytelling balanced whimsy and sentimentality against bursts of surreal humor. Rose had mild success as a recording artist -- his debut album, 1968's The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side, featured two minor hit singles, "Buzz the Fuzz" and "Warm Your Heart" -- but fared better as a songwriter, and his tunes were recorded by David Bowie, Tiny Tim, and John Denver. He also earned a cult following as a performer and was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in the '70s. In the '80s, Rose's public profile faded, but he kept performing, and in the 21st century he issued a steady stream of digital releases.