Deena Kaye Rose (born 2 January 1943) is an American country musician and songwriter. Beginning in the 1970s, she wrote and recorded music as Dick Feller. As an activist, she has given performances and lectures on her experiences as a transgender woman. Biography Early life Rose was born Richard Dean Feller in Bronaugh, Missouri, United States. On her twelfth birthday, she got her first guitar from her grandfather that was bought at a garage sale. Although it only had one string, she immediately started to tune it. Some time later, she started taking guitar lessons by hitching rides with the local mailman to a neighboring town, and, at fifteen, was playing for dances with a local band. Graduating from high school, she played lead guitar in various rock and blues groups including The Sliders in Pittsburg, Kansas, and surrounding areas. In early 1964, she went to Los Angeles to play in a band and hone her songwriting skills. Having had no particular luck, she returned home to Missouri to continue playing with local bands. Songwriting In 1966, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and toured with Mel Tillis' The Statesiders, Skeeter Davis, Stu Phillips, and Warner Mack, with whom she also recorded. After sending some songs to Johnny Cash's publishing company, House of Cash, she got a record contract with Columbia Records. In 1971, Tex Williams recorded her song "The Night Miss Nancy Ann's Hotel for Single Girls Burned Down", which became a Top 30 single in the US. In 1972, Cash got a top five country hit with her "Any Old Wind That Blows". Jimmy Dean's producer then asked her to write a song for Dean similar to what she wrote for Williams, which became "Lord, Mr. Ford". Dean did not record it, but she took the song to Jerry Reed's publishing company, Vector Music. Reed recorded the song, as well as two of her other songs: "The Lady is a Woman" and "One Sweet Reason". "Lord, Mr. Ford" was a number one hit for Reed in 1973. Recording debut In 1973, she made her own recording debut with the single "Biff, The Friendly Purple Bear", made it to the Top 25. She released her first album, Dick Feller Wrote... a few months later through United Artists. Her next single, the humorous "The Credit Card Song", peaked in the Top Ten. In 1974, she signed with Asylum Records. Her first