ROSEMARY CLOONEY
Name: Rosemary Clooney
Born: 23 May 1928 Maysville, Kentucky
Died: 29 June 2002 Beverly Hills, California
Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 - June 29, 2002) was a popular American singer
and actress. She was most popular singing traditional pop music in the 1940s and
1950s with songs like "Come On-a My House". She was the mother of actor Miguel
Ferrer, aunt of actor George Clooney, and the sister to former television
personality Nick Clooney.
Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, to Andrew Joseph Clooney and Frances
Marie Guilfoyle, both of whom were Roman Catholics of Irish ancestry. Her father
was an alcoholic and she and her brother and sister were constantly moving back
and forth between her parents. When Rosemary was fifteen, her mother and brother,
Nick, moved to California. She and her sister, Betty, remained with their father.
Clooney suffered from bipolar disorder.
Rosemary, Betty, and brother, Nick, all became entertainers. In the next
generation, some of her own children, including Miguel and Rafael, and also her
nephew, George Clooney (Nick's son), also became respected entertainers. In 1945,
the Clooney sisters won a spot on Cincinnati's radio station WLW as singers. Her
sister Betty sang in a duo with Rosemary for much of her early career.
Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records as a singer
with the big band of Tony Pastor. She continued working with the Pastor band
until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her
first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia. In 1951, her record of
"Come On-a My House" became a hit, her first of many singles to hit the charts —
despite the fact that Clooney hated the song passionately. She had been told by
Columbia to record the song, and that she would be in violation of her contract
if she did not record it.
In 1954, she, along with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen, starred in the
movie White Christmas. In later years, Clooney would often appear with Crosby on
television, such as in the 1957 special The Edsel Show, and the two friends made
a concert tour of Ireland together. Crosby opined that Clooney was "the best in
the business."
In 1956, she starred in a half hour syndicated television musical variety show "The
Rosemary Clooney Show". The show featured the "Hi-Lo's" singing group and "Nelson
Riddle's orchestra" The following year, the show moved to NBC prime time as "The
Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney", but only lasted one season. The new show
featured the "Modernaires" singing group and "Frank DeVol's orchestra".
In 1958, Clooney left Columbia, doing a number of recordings for MGM Records and
then some for Coral Records. Finally, toward the end of 1958, she signed with
RCA Victor Records, where she stayed until 1963. In 1964 she went to Reprise
Records, and in 1965 to Dot Records. In 1966 she went to United Artists Records.
In 1986 she sang a duet with Wild Man Fischer on "It's a Hard Business".
Beginning in 1977, she recorded an album a year for Concord Records, which
continued until her death. This made her something of an anomaly, because most
of her generation of singers had long since stopped recording regularly by then.
In the late-1970s and early-1980s, Clooney was also a pitch-person for Coronet
paper towels, for which she sang a memorable jingle that goes, "Extra value is
what you get, when you buy Coro-net." Jim Belushi later parodied Clooney and the
commercial while as a cast member for NBC's Saturday Night Live in the early
1980s.
In 1994, Clooney guest starred in the NBC medical drama ER, for which she was
nominated for an Emmy Award.
In 1999, Clooney founded the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival, held annually in
her hometown of Maysville, Kentucky. She performed at the festival every year
until her death. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the Russell Theater in
Maysville, where Clooney's first film, The Stars are Singing, premiered in 1953.
Clooney received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
Name: Rosemary Clooney
Born: 23 May 1928 Maysville, Kentucky
Died: 29 June 2002 Beverly Hills, California
Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 - June 29, 2002) was a popular American singer
and actress. She was most popular singing traditional pop music in the 1940s and
1950s with songs like "Come On-a My House". She was the mother of actor Miguel
Ferrer, aunt of actor George Clooney, and the sister to former television
personality Nick Clooney.
Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, to Andrew Joseph Clooney and Frances
Marie Guilfoyle, both of whom were Roman Catholics of Irish ancestry. Her father
was an alcoholic and she and her brother and sister were constantly moving back
and forth between her parents. When Rosemary was fifteen, her mother and brother,
Nick, moved to California. She and her sister, Betty, remained with their father.
Clooney suffered from bipolar disorder.
Rosemary, Betty, and brother, Nick, all became entertainers. In the next
generation, some of her own children, including Miguel and Rafael, and also her
nephew, George Clooney (Nick's son), also became respected entertainers. In 1945,
the Clooney sisters won a spot on Cincinnati's radio station WLW as singers. Her
sister Betty sang in a duo with Rosemary for much of her early career.
Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records as a singer
with the big band of Tony Pastor. She continued working with the Pastor band
until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her
first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia. In 1951, her record of
"Come On-a My House" became a hit, her first of many singles to hit the charts —
despite the fact that Clooney hated the song passionately. She had been told by
Columbia to record the song, and that she would be in violation of her contract
if she did not record it.
In 1954, she, along with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen, starred in the
movie White Christmas. In later years, Clooney would often appear with Crosby on
television, such as in the 1957 special The Edsel Show, and the two friends made
a concert tour of Ireland together. Crosby opined that Clooney was "the best in
the business."
In 1956, she starred in a half hour syndicated television musical variety show "The
Rosemary Clooney Show". The show featured the "Hi-Lo's" singing group and "Nelson
Riddle's orchestra" The following year, the show moved to NBC prime time as "The
Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney", but only lasted one season. The new show
featured the "Modernaires" singing group and "Frank DeVol's orchestra".
In 1958, Clooney left Columbia, doing a number of recordings for MGM Records and
then some for Coral Records. Finally, toward the end of 1958, she signed with
RCA Victor Records, where she stayed until 1963. In 1964 she went to Reprise
Records, and in 1965 to Dot Records. In 1966 she went to United Artists Records.
In 1986 she sang a duet with Wild Man Fischer on "It's a Hard Business".
Beginning in 1977, she recorded an album a year for Concord Records, which
continued until her death. This made her something of an anomaly, because most
of her generation of singers had long since stopped recording regularly by then.
In the late-1970s and early-1980s, Clooney was also a pitch-person for Coronet
paper towels, for which she sang a memorable jingle that goes, "Extra value is
what you get, when you buy Coro-net." Jim Belushi later parodied Clooney and the
commercial while as a cast member for NBC's Saturday Night Live in the early
1980s.
In 1994, Clooney guest starred in the NBC medical drama ER, for which she was
nominated for an Emmy Award.
In 1999, Clooney founded the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival, held annually in
her hometown of Maysville, Kentucky. She performed at the festival every year
until her death. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the Russell Theater in
Maysville, where Clooney's first film, The Stars are Singing, premiered in 1953.
Clooney received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.