Rosa Rio, an organist whose long career began in silent films and extended into soap operas, died on Thursday, less than three weeks shy of her 108th birthday. The New York Times confirmed her death (at her home in Sun City Center, Fla.) with her husband, Bill Yeoman. In movie theaters, Rio accompanied such legendary silent film stars as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Mary Pickford. She also performed music for radios shows like The Shadow, starring Orson Welles. On television, Rio worked on As the World Turns and the Today show, among others. More recently, she played the organ at restored movie houses, often treating the audience to her signature song, Everything’s Coming Up Roses.
Here is a video of Rio at work.
