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At 71, Rosemary Clooney continues working at her craft. One of the greatest singers of pop music ever, she has lived a life of ups and downs that seems improbable, occasionally impossible. Through it all, the good times and the adversities, she keeps singing, keeps smiling, keeps moving ahead.
Clooney's childhood was rocky at best. Her mother essentially abandoned her for many years, returning after Rosemary became hugely successful. Her father was a lovable alcoholic. She, her sister Betty and little brother Nick were raised by their grandmother and various relatives in Maysville. (Nick became a TV personality, anchored the news on several stations and was a host on American Movie Classes.) Fame came quickly after Rosemary and Betty were still in their early teens. They appeared on a Cincinnati radio station, then were invited to join Tony Pastor's big band, at the time one of a number of orchestras touring the country, playing in movie theaters, sometimes five shows daily, and being featured on a number of records. At one point, Betty decided that such a life was not for her and she returned to Maysville. Not too long afterwards, Rosemary reached the Big Time, signing a contract with the major record label Columbia. "Come On-a My House," a novelty tune based on an Armenian folk song. Rosemary voices regret that Betty wasn't there to share in the excitement and financial rewards. Her younger sister died in the mid '70s of a cerebral hemorrhage. In 1968, Rosemary suffered a nervous breakdown. She had been in the Los Angeles hotel on the night of her friend Bobby Kennedy's assassination. She describes that harrowing evening, which became the catalyst for her collapse. She wound up in a locked mental ward, a period she describes without hesitation. Recovery required some time. Merv Griffin brought her on his daily variety TV show and that gave her the confidence to get back into the swim. When Concord Records signed her to a contract for new albums, Rosemary suddenly developed a reputation as a jazz singer. In the book, she writes, "I've never thought of myself as a jazz singer." But she knows that many, especially musicians, think of her that way. "I have very little in the way of improvisational skill, because I don't read music--I don't know what the chord structure is--and I don't have have the ear for it. I'd call myself a sweet singer with a big band sensibility." Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Rosemary Clooney's Life Described in New Book in Contemporary Fiction is owned by . Permission to republish Rosemary Clooney's Life Described in New Book in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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