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Rosemary Clooney made her singing debut on Cincinnati radio station WLW in 1941 at age 13. She scored her first big hit with Come On-a My House in 1951 and co-starred in White Christmas 1954 with Bing Crosby. After a nervous breakdown in 1968, she revived her career in 1976 and later earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the aunt of actor George Clooney.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Rosemary Clooney — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Rosemary Clooney by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Rosemary Clooney — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Rosemary Clooney was born on May 23, 1928 in Maysville, Kentucky to Marie Frances Guilfoyle and Andrew Joseph Clooney. She and her sister Betty sang in their grandfather’s successful mayoral campaigns, which he won three times. At 13 in 1941, she made her singing debut on Cincinnati radio station WLW, working with band leader Barney Rapp. She attended high schools including Withrow High School and Western Hills High School.
Rosemary Clooney began her professional career with her sister Betty, performing as the Clooney Sisters with Tony Pastor’s band in 1946. She went solo in 1949 and achieved her first hit with Come On-a My House in 1951, selling over a million copies despite her dislike of the song. Her film success peaked with White Christmas 1954, where she starred opposite Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. She also had hits like Hey There 1954 and This Ole House. Her career was interrupted by a nervous breakdown in 1968, but she resumed performing in 1976 and remained active for decades, appearing on TV shows like Frasier and ER.
Rosemary Clooney married actor and director Jose Ferrer in 1953, and they had five children, including actor Miguel Ferrer. The marriage was tumultuous and ended in divorce. She later married Dante DiPaolo in 1997. In 1968, she experienced a nervous breakdown amid the stress of her personal life and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, which she witnessed at the Ambassador Hotel. She was a liberal Democrat and died of lung cancer in 2002 at her home in Beverly Hills.
Rosemary Clooney’s legacy includes her hits and her role in White Christmas. She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her nephew George Clooney credits her as an influence. The Rosemary Clooney Museum opened in Augusta, Kentucky in 2005. She was inducted into the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame in 2015. Her warm voice and resilience in overcoming personal setbacks remain part of her legacy.
The complete filmography of Rosemary Clooney — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Rosemary Clooney — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Rosemary Clooney — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Think Acting Is the Most Thankless Profession in the World.
In the Final Analysis, It’s True That Fame Is Unimportant. No Matter How Great a Man Is, the Size of His Funeral Usually Depends on the Weather.
Little-known facts about Rosemary Clooney — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
A frequent escort in 1952 was CBS star Robert Q. Lewis, who later joked that his greatest regret was introducing her to Jose Ferrer.
At the height of her fame, she made and sent out records singing carols and holiday wishes instead of Christmas cards.
She is George Clooney’s aunt.
She started out with her sister Betty as a singing duo before going solo; after Betty died of a brain aneurysm at 45, Clooney founded the Betty Clooney Center for brain-injured young adults.
Performing once with Michael Feinstein at the Hollywood Bowl, she told him, ‘Don’t think this ever gets any easier.
Inducted into the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame in 2015 as part of the inaugural class.
She frequently performed with family members, including her husband Jose Ferrer, her son Miguel Ferrer on drums, and her daughter-in-law Debby Boone.
She hated Come On-a My House and resisted recording it but relented, leading to a million-selling hit she still disliked performing.
Buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery near her mother and grandmother in Maysville, Kentucky.
On October 1, 2005, her Augusta, Kentucky home partially became the Rosemary Clooney Museum, featuring memorabilia and a replica of her White Christmas gown.
Had five children with Jose Ferrer: Miguel, Maria, Gabriel, Monsita, and Rafael.
The Maysville street where her parents lived when she was born was renamed in her honor.
Her brother Nick Clooney gave the eulogy at her funeral; actor George Clooney was a pallbearer.
When she married Dante DiPaolo in 1997, nephew George Clooney reportedly did not attend to avoid stealing the spotlight.
She performed annually at the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival in her hometown of Maysville.
Mother-in-law of singer Debby Boone and Terry Botwick.
Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6325 Hollywood Boulevard.
Older sister of actor Nick Clooney and singer Betty Clooney.
Received a casting call for The Blue Lagoon 1949 but was unable to accept due to her WLW contract.
Was a liberal to progressive Democrat.
She was of Irish, German, and English descent.
Winner of the MAC Award.
Former mother-in-law of actress Leilani Sarelle.
Sister-in-law of Nina Clooney.
Singer.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Rosemary Clooney.
Celebrities similar to Rosemary Clooney — same craft, ranked by reach.
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