Clooney, Rosemary (1928–2002)

American singer and actress. Born May 23, 1928, in Maysville, Kentucky; died June 29, 2002, in Beverly Hills, California; dau. of Andrew and Frances Clooney; sister of Betty Clooney (singer who died of a brain aneurysm in Aug 1976) and Nick Clooney (actor and tv host); aunt of George Clooney (actor); m. José Ferrer (actor, producer, director), July 13, 1953 (div.); m. Dante DiPaolo (dancer), Nov 7, 1997; children: Miguel Ferrer (b. 1955), Maria Ferrer, Gabriel Ferrer, Monsita Ferrer (b. 1960) and Rafael Ferrer.

One of America's leading popular singers of the 1950s, began career with younger sister Betty as the Clooney Sisters on radio station WLW in Ohio, then worked with bandleaders Barney Rapp and Tony Pastor (1945); made a solo recording with Pastor, "I'm Sorry I didn't Say I'm Sorry When I Made You Cry Last Night," considered "revolutionary" by disc jockeys because of her soft, whispery style; after Betty retired (1949), left Pastor and went out on her own; produced a series of recordings for Columbia, including "Beautiful Brown Eyes" and a duet with Guy Mitchell of "You're Just in Love"; recorded novelty number "Come ona My House," adapted from an Armenian folksong, which sold a million copies and paved the way for subsequent novelties like "Botcha Me," "Mangos," "Mambo Italiano," and "This Ole House"; made film debut in The Stars Are Singing (1953), followed by 4 movies including White Christmas (1954); starred in tv series "The Rosemary Clooney Show" (1956) and the variety series "The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney" (1957–58); career waned; went on tour in "Four Girls Four" (1982); known for impeccable phrasing, became more selective and recorded a series of jazz tributes to such composers as Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin and Jimmy Van Heusen.

See also autobiography (with Raymond Strait) This for Remembrance, the basis for tv film "Escape from Madness" (1978); and tv film "Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story," with Sondra Locke (1982); and Women in World History.