Maurice Rocco
Maurice Rocco (born Maurice John Rockhold; June 26, 1915 – March 24, 1976) was an American pianist, singer, and composer known for playing boogie-woogie piano and his disdain for using a piano bench. He was a top nightclub and theater draw in the 1940s, and made several film appearances. He toured the United States, Canada, and Europe before becoming a fixture in Bangkok, Thailand, where he was murdered. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Oxford (city in Oxford Township, Butler County, Ohio, United States), Died March 24, 1976 (Bangkok (capital of Thailand) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1949
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, vocalist, leader
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | D9VB-0992 | 10-in. | 3/24/1949 | Close your eyes | Maurice Rocco ; The Rhythm (Maurice Rocco) | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, leader | |
| Victor | D9VB-0993 | 10-in. | 3/24/1949 | Why does it have to be me? | Maurice Rocco ; The Rhythm (Maurice Rocco) | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, leader | |
| Decca | 68161 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | Rocco blues | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano | ||
| Decca | 68162 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | It's wearing me down | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68163 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | Rocco's boogie woogie | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68164 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | Jungle drums (Canto Karabali) | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano | ||
| Decca | 68165 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | The donkey serenade | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano | ||
| Decca | 68166 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | Tonky blues | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68167 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | Rhumboogie | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68168 | 10-in. | 9/27/1940 | Rhumboogie | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano | ||
| Decca | 93579 | 10-in. | 3/11/1941 | Tea for two | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano | ||
| Decca | 93580 | 10-in. | 3/11/1941 | Java jive | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 93581 | 10-in. | 3/11/1941 | The one I love (belongs to somebody else) | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano | ||
| Decca | 93582 | 10-in. | 3/11/1941 | Hold me baby | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 93583 | 10-in. | 3/11/1941 | How come you do me like you do ? | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano, vocalist | ||
| Decca | 93584 | 10-in. | 3/11/1941 | Little Rock getaway | Maurice Rocco and his Rockin' Rhythm | instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rocco, Maurice," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/208640.
Rocco, Maurice. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/208640.
"Rocco, Maurice." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Rocco, Maurice - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no95044111
Wikidata: Maurice Rocco - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16008096
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/68516456
MusicBrainz: Maurice Rocco - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f0d1d9fb-b6e0-438e-b846-a4690285784c
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