"A Rose and a Baby Ruth" is the title of a song written by John D. Loudermilk

John D. Loudermilk

John D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...

. The song was published in 1956

1956 in music

-Events:*January 26 – Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records*January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released...

. The best-known version was recorded by George Hamilton IV

George Hamilton IV

George Hege Hamilton IV is an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, later switching to country music in the early 1960s.-Biography:Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...

. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard magazine pop chart, and had regional appeal in country music, foreshadowing Hamilton's highly successful 1960s career.

Chart performance

Chart (1956)	Peak position
Billboard Top 100	6
Billboard Best Sellers in Stores	7
Billboard Most Played by Jockeys	7
Billboard Most Played in Juke Boxes	8

Covers

At the same date as Billboard revued George Hamilton IV´s original version -in October 1956- they revued a competing cover which Decca had released by Eddie Fontaine. Billboard predicted it would be a close race, but the Decca release did not even make the lover part of the Billboard´s Top 100.

Johnny Maestro & The Crests

The Crests

The Crests were a New York R&B doo-wop group of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their most popular song was "16 Candles", which rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. It sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. The interracial group had three black members , one Puerto...

 did a version in 1960 for their first album "The Crests Sing All Biggies" - (Coed LP 901).

The song was covered by Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...

 as a bonus studio track on the limited edition version of The Last Tour On Earth

The Last Tour on Earth

The Last Tour on Earth is a live album comprising recordings from Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals and Rock is Dead tours. On the studio version of "The Dope Show", Manson says that drugs "are made in California", but in the live version, he says that "drugs, they say, are made right here in...

 live album in 1999.

By George Hamilton IV

• (1956) A Rose and a Baby Ruth/If You Don't Know-ABC Paramount Records
  ABC Records
  ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
  
  
• (1956) A Rose and a Baby Ruth/If You Don't Know-Colonial Records
  Colonial Records
  Colonial Records was a record label located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The records were distributed by ABC-Paramount Records until 1959-1960 when it was distributed by London Records. The label was owned by Orville Campbell. Some of Colonial Records artist were Andy Griffith, Bill Craddock,...
  
    With the Country Gentlemen, Featuring Joe Tanner
  The Bluenotes
  The Bluenotes were a vocal group featuring Tom Underwood, Joe Tanner, Pat Patterson, and Ralph Harrington. They recorded for the Brooke and Colonial record labels. Their first single, Page One/Mighty Low, was released in 1957 on the Colonial label and the last single, It Had To Be You/Summer Love,...
  
  on guitar