Rosemary Clooney

Vocalist Rosemary Clooney's rise to fame in the '50s came on the strength of songs that in many instances were without question novelty tunes; she wasn't a vocal improviser like Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, or Sarah Vaughan. She was an excellent lyric interpreter, with fine timing, skillful and intelligent phrasing, and performed with the dramatic quality evident among all great singers. Her background and foundation were jazz, even if her technique didn't always adhere to rigid jazz scrutiny.

Clooney entered amateur events with her sister Betty in Cincinnati, and they sang on radio stations. The duo worked in Tony Pastor's band during the late '40s, then Clooney started as a soloist. She joined the Columbia roster in 1950, and made several hits for them, among them "You're Just in Love," "Beautiful Brown Eyes," "Half as Much," "Hey There," "This Ole House," the number one hit "Come On-A My House" co-written by Ross Bagdasarian of Chipmunks fame, and "If Teardrops Were Pennies." Clooney had 13 Top 40 hits in the early '50s, among them duets with Guy Mitchell and Marlene Dietrich.

She also appeared in such films as The Stars Are Singing, Here Come the Girls, White Christmas, and Red Garters in 1953 and 1954. Clooney recorded with Benny Goodman Sextet, the Hi-Lo's, and Duke Ellington in the '50s. She moved to RCA in the '60s, and recorded with Bing Crosby. There were also dates for Coral, Reprise, and Capitol, among them another session with Crosby.

The rock revolution and a decision to spend more time with her family resulted in Clooney going into semi-retirement. She returned in the late '70s, singing with renewed power and confidence while making swing-influenced dates and combo sessions for Concord. She maintained that relationship through the '80s and '90s, doing standards, repertory albums, and demonstrating a resiliency and energy that validated her position among the fine jazz-based vocalists in American music. She passed away, after a long battle with lung cancer, on June 29, 2002 in her Beverly Hills home.