Who was Rosemary Clooney? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 74

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Dante DiPaolo, José Ferrer

father: Andrew Joseph Clooney

mother: Marie Frances Guilfoyle

siblings: Betty Clooney, Gail Stone, Nick Clooney

children: Gabriel Ferrer, Maria Ferrer, Miguel Ferrer, Monsita Ferrer, Rafael Ferrer

Born Country: United States

Actresses Pop Singers

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Females

Died on: June 29, 2002

place of death: Beverly Hills, California, United States

Grouping of People: Smoker

Diseases & Disabilities: Lung Cancer

Cause of Death: Lung Cancer

Ancestry: Irish American, British American, German American

U.S. State: Kentucky

Recommended For You

1

What were some popular songs by Rosemary Clooney?

Some popular songs by Rosemary Clooney include "Come On-a My House," "Hey There," "Botch-a-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciani Piccina)," and "Mambo Italiano."
2

Did Rosemary Clooney have a successful film career?

Yes, Rosemary Clooney had a successful film career, appearing in movies such as "White Christmas" and "Here Come the Girls."
3

Was Rosemary Clooney known for her collaborations with other artists?

Yes, Rosemary Clooney was known for her collaborations with artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Nelson Riddle.
4

Did Rosemary Clooney face any challenges in her career?

Yes, Rosemary Clooney faced personal and professional challenges, including struggles with addiction and mental health issues.
5

How did Rosemary Clooney influence the music industry?

Rosemary Clooney influenced the music industry with her distinctive voice, style, and contributions to the genres of traditional pop and jazz.

Recommended Lists:

Childhood & Early Life

Rosemary Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky on 23rd May, 1928 to Andrew Joseph Clooney and Marie Frances. Her mother belonged to a mix of English and Irish ancestry while her father was of German and Irish descent.

Rosemary was one of the five children of her parents and she was brought up in Maysville. In this both she and her sister Betty sang in the campaigns for their grandfather’s mayoral election. Incidentally her grandfather won the election thrice.

The singer had a far from happy childhood as her father abused alcohol and was rarely at home while her mother had to often go away from home on work. Thus Rosemary and her siblings had to stay with their relatives very often.

Rosemary was only three when she performed for the first time on ‘When Your Hair Has Turned to Silver’ at the ‘Russell Theater’. She was raised a Catholic and attended her high school at ‘Our Lady of Mercy’ in Cincinnati.

Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

Career

Rosemary began her singing career with Betty, her sister on a radio show at Cincinnati. The two sisters joined big band orchestra of Tony Pastor in the year 1946 and toured with the band for some years.

In 1949, the budding singer went to New York to start her solo career after Betty retired from singing. Two years down the line, after she signed a contract with ‘Columbia Records’, Rosemary tasted her first major success with the Number 1 hit, ‘Come On-a My House’.

Soon she had other major hits such as ‘Tenderly’, ‘The Ole House’ and ‘Hey There’ that further established her reputation as a singer.

Rosemary made her appearances in some feature films too around this time such as ‘White Christmas’ in 1954 and ‘The Stars Are Singing’ with Bing Crosby. She also had a self-titled television show in the late Fifties called ‘The Rosemary Clooney Show’.

The popular singer’s career took a downturn in the late sixties due to her personal problems that included a broken marriage from Jose Ferrar, a failed love affair and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy who was one of her close friends. She also abused sleeping pills and tranquilizers during this time.

She had a mental collapse and took years to recover from her trauma but managed to rebuild her singing career slowly as she started out singing in small lounges and clubs.

She joined her former co-star Bing Crosby in the mid-seventies on his finale tour that was a big boost for her comeback and later managed to sign a recording contract with ‘Concord Jazz’ label.

Recommended Lists:

American Pop Singers

Women Film & Theater Personalities

American Film & Theater Personalities

Major Works

In the initial years, Rosemary’s career advanced slowly but in the beginning of 1951 she recorded her first hit song “Beautiful Brown Eyes’ that eventually sold around 400,000 copies. Her royalty rates went up from 3% to 5% and she had an assured income of $250,000 for the next 5 years.

Clooney’s professional life changed after she sang ‘Come On-a My house’ which was a nonsensical song penned by Ross Bagdasarian and William Sarroyan. Though Rosemary thought the song would fail to do well, yet it was the biggest hit of her career and sold over 1 million copies.

Continue Reading Below

Awards & Achievements

Though several of her songs got ‘Grammy’ nominations yet she did not win. In 2002 though, Clooney received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award’.

Rosemary had also appeared on the cover page of ‘Downbeat’, one of the most well-known Jazz magazines and ‘The Wall Street Journal’ called her a ‘ A Pop icon’

Clooney received several honors throughout her long and illustrious singing career that included a nomination in Emmy for a guest appearance on NBC’s ‘ER’.

Personal Life & Legacy

Rosemary Clooney married twice to Jose Ferrar a movie star who was 16 years older to her. Clooney fist married him on 1st June, 1953 and the couple had five children from their marriage.

Though their first marriage culminated in a divorce the couple remarried in the year 1964. However, the marriage did not survive and they parted ways three years later.

In 1996, she married her longtime friend Dante Di Paolo, a dancer, whom she had worked with in two of her films and remained married to him till her death. Her personal life was greatly improved after this marriage.

On 29th June, 2002, Clooney died at the age of 74, after she suffered from several complications due to lung cancer, at Beverly Hills in California.

Facts About Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney was known for her distinctive voice, often described as warm and velvety, making her a beloved figure in the world of music.

Clooney was not only a talented singer, but also a skilled actress, appearing in several films throughout her career, including the classic movie "White Christmas."

She was a strong advocate for mental health awareness, speaking openly about her own struggles with depression and helping to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness.

In addition to her musical talents, Rosemary Clooney was also a dedicated philanthropist, supporting various charitable causes throughout her life and using her platform to raise awareness for important social issues.

Rosemary Clooney Biography

You wanted to know

What were some popular songs by Rosemary Clooney?

Did Rosemary Clooney have a successful film career?

Was Rosemary Clooney known for her collaborations with other artists?

Did Rosemary Clooney face any challenges in her career?

How did Rosemary Clooney influence the music industry?