Song: Convict and The Rose, The
Written by Robert King, Ballard MacDonaldCountry music star Willie Nelson recorded "The Convict and the Rose" on his acclaimed 1983 Columbia Records album Tougher Than Leather. "The Convict and the Rose" was originally a hit for another Texas singer, Vernon Dalhart, whose recording climbed to No. 9 in 1926. It was such a popular song that eleven different record companies released it in the mid-1920s. "The Convict and the Rose" was written by Robert King and Ballard MacDonald. Other recordings include those by guitarist Chet Atkins and honky-tonk singer Hank Thompson.