Rosemary Clooney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosemary Clooney
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Clooney in 1954
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| Born | May 23, 1928 Maysville, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | June 29, 2002 (aged 74) |
| Resting place | Saint Patrick's Cemetery, Maysville |
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| Years active | 1946–2002 |
| Known for | White Christmas Come On-a My House Botch-a-Me Mambo Italiano Tenderly Half as Much Hey There This Ole House |
| Spouse(s) |
(m. 1964; div. 1967)Dante DiPaolo
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 5, including Miguel Ferrer |
| Relatives |
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| Musical career | |
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Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was a famous American singer and actress. She became well-known in the early 1950s with her hit song "Come On-a My House". She also sang other popular songs like "Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano", and "Hey There". Rosemary Clooney also had success as a jazz singer.
Her career slowed down in the 1960s, but it became popular again in 1977. This happened when her co-star from the movie White Christmas, Bing Crosby, asked her to perform with him. She continued to record music until she passed away in 2002.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Rosemary Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky. Her parents were Marie Frances and Andrew Joseph Clooney. She was one of five children. Her family had Irish, German, and English backgrounds. She was raised Catholic.
When Rosemary was 15, her mother and brother Nick moved to California. Rosemary and her sister Betty stayed with their father. In the late 1940s, their family lived in the John Brett Richeson House.
Rosemary and Betty became entertainers. Their brother Nick became a news reporter and TV broadcaster. Some of Rosemary's children, like Miguel Ferrer, and her nephew, George Clooney, also became well-known actors. In 1945, Rosemary and Betty won a chance to sing on a radio station in Cincinnati called WLW. They sang together as a duo for a long time early in Rosemary's career.
Singing and Acting Career
Rosemary Clooney signed with Columbia Records and made her first recording in 1947. It was with Tony Pastor's big band. She recorded 14 songs with his band before starting her solo career in 1949.
In 1950 and 1951, she was a regular on the radio and TV show Songs For Sale. In 1951, she had a small hit song called "Beautiful Brown Eyes". A few months later, her song "Come On-a My House" became her first really big hit. Rosemary said in her book that she didn't like the song. But singers at that time often had to record what the record company wanted.
In 1954, she starred in the movie White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. In 1956, she had her own TV show called The Rosemary Clooney Show. The next year, the show moved to NBC as The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney. It lasted for one season.
Rosemary often appeared with her friend Bing Crosby on TV. They also went on a concert tour together in Ireland. In 1960, Clooney and Crosby had a 20-minute radio show together on CBS.
Her last big hit song was "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face," released in 1956. Around this time, rock-and-roll music was becoming very popular.
Rosemary Clooney left Columbia Records in 1958. She recorded for several other labels like MGM Records, Coral Records, and RCA Victor. In 1964, she signed with Reprise Records, and in 1965 with Dot Records.
In 1977, she started recording an album every year for the Concord Jazz record label. She continued this until she passed away. This was special because many singers from her time had stopped recording regularly. In 1994, she sang a duet of Green Eyes with Barry Manilow.
In 1995, Rosemary Clooney was a guest star on the TV medical show ER. Her nephew, George Clooney, also starred in the show. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance.
In 1998, she received the Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, she started the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival in her hometown of Maysville. She performed at the festival every year until her death. The money raised helps restore the Russell Theater in Maysville. This is where her first movie, The Stars Are Singing, premiered in 1953.
She received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
Personal Life
Rosemary Clooney was married twice to the movie star José Ferrer. They first married in 1953. They had five children together, including their son Miguel Ferrer, who also became an actor. Rosemary and José divorced in 1961.
They married again in 1964. However, they divorced a second time in 1967.
In 1968, Rosemary faced a difficult time with her health. She received help for her well-being for several years.
Her sister Betty passed away suddenly in 1976. Rosemary then started a foundation in her sister's memory. Around this time, she also wrote her first autobiography, This for Remembrance, published in 1977. In the book, she wrote about her life, her singing career, her marriage, and her health challenges. Her good friend Bing Crosby wrote the introduction for the book.
In 1983, Rosemary and her brother Nick helped lead the Betty Clooney Foundation for the Brain-Injured. This foundation helps people who have cognitive disabilities.
In 1997, she married her long-time friend and former dancer, Dante DiPaolo. They married at St. Patrick's Church in Maysville, Kentucky.
In 1999, Rosemary published her second autobiography, Girl Singer. In this book, she wrote about her struggles with depression and how she managed her finances. She described herself as "a sweet singer with a big band sensibility."
Later Years and Legacy
Rosemary Clooney faced health challenges at the end of 2001. She gave one of her last concerts in Hawaii. Her final show was in December 2001. She passed away six months later on June 29, 2002, at her home in Beverly Hills, California. Her nephew, George Clooney, was a pallbearer at her funeral. She is buried in Saint Patrick's Cemetery in Maysville.
Rosemary Clooney lived for many years in Beverly Hills, California. In 1980, she bought a second home in Augusta, Kentucky, near her childhood hometown. Today, this Augusta house is a museum where you can see her personal items and memorabilia from her films and singing performances.
In 2003, Rosemary Clooney was honored and included in the Kentucky Women Remembered exhibit. Her portrait is on permanent display in the Kentucky State Capitol.
Also in 2003, Bette Midler recorded an album called Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. The album was very successful. In 2005, Debby Boone, who was Rosemary's daughter-in-law, released an album called Reflections of Rosemary. She wanted the album to be a musical picture of Rosemary from a family point of view.
In September 2007, a mural honoring Rosemary's life was painted in downtown Maysville. It shows moments like the 1953 premiere of The Stars are Singing and her singing career. Her brother Nick Clooney spoke at the mural's dedication.
Discography
Filmography
- Tony Pastor and His Orchestra (1947 short subject)
- The Stars Are Singing (1953) as Terry Brennan
- Here Come the Girls (1953) as Daisy Crockett
- Red Garters (1954) as Calaveras Kate
- White Christmas (1954) as Betty Haynes
- Deep in My Heart (1954; cameo appearance) as Performer in 'That Midnight Girl'
- Conquest of Space (1955) as Musical Number (uncredited) (archive footage)
- The Joker's Wild (1968, TV Movie)
- Twilight Theater (1982, TV Movie)
- Sister Margaret and the Saturday Night Ladies (1987, TV Movie) as Sarah
- Radioland Murders (1994) as Anna
- ER (1994, TV Series) as Mary Cavanaugh / 'Madame X'
- LateLine (1999, TV Series) as Special Guest Mother
Radio broadcasts
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
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| 1953 | Suspense | St. James Infirmary |
Images for kids
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Clooney in 1954
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John Brett Richeson House in Maysville
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Rosemary Clooney, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis on TV's The Colgate Comedy Hour, 1952
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Clooney in White Christmas
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Clooney performing in 1977
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With Ken Murray on The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney (1957)
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Clooney in 1997
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Rosemary Clooney's Riverside Home, Augusta, Kentucky
See also
In Spanish: Rosemary Clooney para niños
- Rosemary Clooney Museum; Augusta, Kentucky
