Late Life Jazz: The Life and Career of Rosemary Clooney (45 page)

Rosemary and Betty Clooney continue to tour with Tony Pastor’s Orchestra.

January 1
. A strike by the American Federation of Musicians commences and prevents recording studio work for most of the year.

February 16
. Rosemary ties for first place on
Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts
on CBS radio. Tony Bennett, then known as Joe Bari, comes third. The show is broadcast from the CBS Studio Building on 52nd Street, New York.

Miss Clooney Ties for Top Honors

Miss Rosemary Clooney, elder member of the singing Clooney Sisters, natives of Maysville, tied for top honors in the audition contest on “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” broadcast last night over the Columbia Broadcasting System. Singing the popular ballad “Golden Earrings,” Miss Clooney finished in a tie with Richard Broderick, impersonator. Several other performers competed.
As a result of her gaining a tie for top honors, Miss Clooney will be given three appearances on Godfrey’s morning show and will be given an opportunity to perform before New York’s leading night club, movie and Theater managers. Each competitor on the show received $100 for appearing. Miss Clooney, niece of Mrs. Stafford Rolph, of the Germanstown Road, was presented by her maternal uncle, George Guilfoyle, of Cincinnati, also a former Maysvillian.

(
Public Ledger
, February 17, 1948)

October 13
. Tony Pastor and His Orchestra are at the New York Paramount with Vic Damone in a cine-variety show.

The band did some nice work with a couple of standards, with the Clooney Sisters warbling in the key spots. The girls, a blonde and brunette, did some pleasant tho highly stylized things, with
Paper Moon
and
Hallelujah
, assisted by glee club effects from sidemen. … His [Pastor’s] teaming up with the Clooney gals in the
Man at the Door
number got equally pleasant results.

(
Billboard
, October 23, 1948)

Rosemary and Betty Clooney remain with the Pastor band until May 1949.

March 5
. Rosemary appears on
Eddie Condon’s Floor Show
on NBC-TV.

May 23
. Rosemary turns 21 and goes solo. Joe Shribman becomes her manager, replacing her Uncle George. Betty Clooney returns to Cincinnati. Rosemary is offered a contract by Manie Sachs, head of A&R at Columbia Records, and signs this on May 24, 1949.

June 16
. Makes solo recordings in New York City. The recordings are issued by Harmony Records, a cheaper 49 cent label in the Columbia stable.

August 27
. Guests on the
Sing It Again
show on CBS radio.

September 2–5
. The Clooney Sisters reunite to sing with Clyde Trask’s Orchestra at Moonlite Gardens, Coney Island, Ohio.

October 22
, Saturday.
Billboard
magazine’s Third Annual Disk Jockey Poll has Rosemary in top place in the female band singer category.

November 12
. Guests on Vaughn Monroe’s
Camel Caravan
radio show on CBS and makes a further appearance on December 24.

December 12
. Opens a week’s engagement at the Seventh Avenue Hotel, Pittsburgh.

December 25
. Makes her nationwide TV debut on Ed Sullivan’s
Toast of the Town
on CBS-TV.

Best of the acts was songstress Rosemary Clooney, blonde looker with a bewitching personality. … Miss Clooney demonstrated a voice to match her looks and, backed by the show’s regular line, did a neat selling job on a ballad and a pleasant novelty tune titled,”Haul Off and Love Me.”

(
Variety
, December 28, 1949)

Manie Sacks (Manager of Popular Repertoire) leaves Columbia for RCA-Victor.

February
. Mitch Miller joins Columbia Records as head of its Pop Singles Division.

February 4
. Rosemary appears on Vaughn Monroe’s
Camel Caravan
radio show on CBS. Rosemary makes further appearances on the show during the year.

April 8
. Records “Peachtree Street” with Frank Sinatra in New York.

June 30
. Appears on the first “Songs for Sale” show on CBS radio and becomes a regular for the rest of the year.

July 3
. Commences a five nights a week 15-minute radio show with Tony Bennett called “Stepping Out” which continues until August 25.

September 7–9
. Appears at the Meadowbrook Club, Cedar Grove, New Jersey with Woody Herman and his Orchestra.

September 24
. NBC radio puts on a preview of the new musical
Call Me Madam
with Perry Como and Rosemary singing the songs.

October
. The annual disc jockey poll in
Billboard
magazine has Rosemary in second place as most promising new female vocalist. Mindy Carson is first.

October 16
. Guests on the first
Robert Q’s Matinee
hosted by Robert Q. Lewis. Rosemary becomes a regular on the daytime TV show.

December 24
. Guests on Ed Sullivan’s
Toast of the Town
on CBS-TV.

Continues to make regular appearances on the
Songs for Sale
shows, on Vaughn Monroe’s
Camel Caravan
radio shows, and on
Robert Q’s Matinee
on CBS-TV

January 27
. Records “Beautiful Brown Eyes.” The song enters the Billboard charts on March 3 and reaches #11 during a 14-week stay in the lists

April
. Performs at the Hippodrome, Baltimore in an 18-minute set.

With a background of name-brand stints and video appearances, this good looking chirp has what it takes to hold her own in Theater and nitery dates. Nicely gowned and giving out with an aura of wholesome charm she punches out a good mixture of pops with ample voice and a good feel for the right phrasing. Smartly contrasted routine includes “From This Moment,” “Be My Own,” an elaborate “Lullaby of Broadway,” “One More Time,” and for the enthusiastic response, encores with her current disclicks, “Beautiful Brown Eyes” and “Shot Gun Boogie.”

(
Variety
, April 25, 1951)

April 29
. Guests on
The Big Show
on NBC radio hosted by Tallulah Bankhead.

June 6
. Records “Come On-a My House” and it becomes a huge hit. It enters the charts on July 7 and spends eight weeks at No. 1 during a 20-week stay.

June 16
. Opens at the Olympia Theater, Miami.

July 15
. Rosemary guests on the “Quiz Kids” radio program on NBC.

July
. Appears at the Chicago Theater in Chicago with Frankie Laine.

August 3
. Entertains at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, in front of a crowd numbering 25,000.

August 11–12
. Appears at the Illinois State Fair with Jack Benny.

August 23
. Records “Half As Much.” This enters the charts on May 3, 1952, and soon reaches #1. It spends 27 weeks in the charts in all. The song reaches the #3 position in the United Kingdom and tops the charts in Australia.

August 31–September 16
. Appears at the Thunderbird in Las Vegas, receiving $3,500 a week. The publicity attracts Hollywood interest.

September 30
. Guests on the Jack Benny radio show on CBS.

October 7
. Rosemary guests on
The Charlie McCarthy Show
on CBS radio with Edgar Bergen.

October 19
. Opens at the Capitol Theater in Washington, DC, with Tony Bennett.

October 20
. Rosemary is signed to a term contract by Paramount Pictures.

October 29
. Opens at the New York Paramount.

March 23
. Rosemary guests on
The Big Show
on NBC radio hosted by Tallulah Bankhead. Others appearing include Marlene Dietrich, and Rosemary gets to know her well. Rosemary is paid $750 for her appearance.

April 2
. Takes part in “Two Girls On Broadway” with Joan Blondell as part of the
MGM Musical Comedy Theater of the Air
series.

April 4
. Guests on
The Mario Lanza Show
on NBC radio.

April 18
. Records “Botch-a-Me.” The song enters the charts on June 28 and during a 17-week stay reaches the #2 spot.

April 30
. Rosemary and Eddie Fisher front
The Perry Como Show
on CBS-TV in the absence of Perry who is entertaining in North Carolina.

May–July
. Films
The Stars Are Singing
at Paramount studios in Hollywood. Meets Bing Crosby for the first time.

May 18
. Guests on
The Charlie McCarthy Show
with Edgar Bergen on CBS radio.

May 26
. Records
The Bing Crosby Show
which airs on CBS radio on June 11. Rosemary receives a fee of $1,000. This is her first appearance with Bing.

August 13
. Opens in Reno, Nevada, for two weeks giving three shows nightly.

Standing room only has been the status in the Terrace Room of the New Golden Hotel-Bank Club Casino since the arrival of Rosemary Clooney. A skillful blending of talent and experience combined with her vital and youthful personality has made Miss Clooney one of the best received big-time personalities to appear in Reno. Appreciative of the applauding crowds in the Terrace Room, Miss Clooney favors with a rounded program including her “signature” song, “Come On-a My House,” Gershwin’s “Tenderly” [
sic
] and amusing ditties which Miss Clooney classes as self-descriptive numbers.

(
Reno Evening Gazette
, August 22, 1952)

September 16
. Guests on
The Martin and Lewis Show
on NBC radio.

November–December
. Films
Here Come the Girls
with Bob Hope.

November 6
. Rosemary and Gordon MacRae star on
The Bing Crosby Show
on CBS radio. James Stewart is the emcee in the absence of Bing whose wife, Dixie, has just died.

December
. Rosemary places third in the
Downbeat
poll behind Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

January 9–11
. Rosemary is at the Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach and entertains at the clambake dinner on January 11 with Bing, Phil Harris, and Don Cherry.

January 10
. Tapes a Bing Crosby Show at Fort Ord. The other guest is Bob Hope and the show is broadcast on January 15.

January 28
. Rosemary returns to Maysville for the world premiere of her film
The Stars Are Singing
. The film is shown at 8:00
P.M
. and at 10:15
P.M
. and Rosemary appears on stage on both occasions. Rosemary arrives in a motorcade from Cincinnati at 2:30
P.M
. and at 3
P.M
. she joins a parade through the town. At 4
P.M
. there is a ceremony when Lower Street is renamed Rosemary Clooney Street and dedicated with a bottle of Kentucky limestone water as Rosemary unveils the street marker.

February 7
. Appears on the
Grand Ole Opry
radio show from Nashville, Tennessee. She sings “Come On-a My House.”

February 23
. Rosemary is pictured on the cover of
Time
magazine. She also appears on the
Suspense
program on CBS radio in an episode titled “St. James Infirmary Blues.”

March 19–21
. Rosemary performs at the Fox Theater, Detroit.

April 3
. Opens at the Chicago Theater, Chicago, for a week.

May 4–June
. Films
Red Garters
with Gene Barry and Guy Mitchell.

May 5
. Commences a 15-minute twice-weekly radio show for NBC. Bob Hope guests on the first show.

May 24
. Guests on the premiere of a musical show called
The Orchid Award
on ABC-TV. Ronald Reagan is the emcee and Mitch Miller also appears.

July 13
. Rosemary (age 25) marries José Ferrer (age 41) in Durant, Oklahoma.

September 7–November 25
. Films
White Christmas
with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. Rosemary is paid $5,000 a week.

October 22
. The
Here Come the Girls
film is released.

December 27
. Hosts
The Toast of the Town
TV show in the absence of Ed Sullivan.

It is no secret that Rosemary Clooney is a very pretty girl with a special rich warmth. It is also no secret that Rosie is a thoroughly nice girl with a charm as natural as the wag of a puppy dog’s tail. However, Miss Clooney handed me a surprise the other Sunday when she subbed for the vacationing Ed Sullivan. She had all the poise of a young queen, and at the same time her own special quality came through the TV screen like a handshake from an old friend.

It was a happy thought for Rosemary to have her sister Betty on the show with her and the girls sang a song together, like in the old days in Maysville, Kentucky. I guess that’s what makes Rosie so nice. She is still just a good gal from a little town, and her friendliness shines right through her talent.

(Faye Emerson, syndicated column, January 1, 1954)

January
. Flies to London. Appears on the
Cyril Stapleton Show Band
radio show and sings “Man and Woman” with José Ferrer.