Rosemary Clooney (1928–2002)

White Christmas has long been a festive favourite of mine but I realised that I didn't know anything about the two female leads - Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen - other than their roles in the film. Well, I also know that Rosemary was George Clooney's aunt! I thought I would start with Rosemary's autobiography - one of two - because she seemed so genuine and kind in her White Christmas commentaries.

As with most autobiographies, Rosemary pulls no punches and starts with her darkest days, show more when she suffered a mental breakdown in 1968, just after the assassination of Robert Kennedy (she was there at the Ambassador Hotel, supporting his campaign, and refused to believe he was dead). She was addicted to barbiturates, had a gruelling international tour schedule, and was dumped by her younger boyfriend - years of internalising her personal and professional insecurities, including her husband Jose Ferrer's infidelities, finally brought her to breaking point and she was committed. Thankfully, she recovered her health and broke her addiction, continuing to perform until her death in 2002, but what an intense introduction to her life!

When Rosemary finally starts to detail the rest of her story, starting in Kentucky with toxic and often absent parents, dependable grandparents and her sister Betty, her early days reveal where she found her inner strength and independence. Like Betty and Judy in White Christmas, she started as a (very young) sister act at the end of the big band era, touring with Tony Pastor before recording her solo debut in 1949 and having her first hit with 'Come On-a My House' in 1951. She married actor Jose Ferrer two years later - choosing him over lifelong friend and partner Dante DiPaolo, whom she later married in 1997 - and balanced a successful career with raising five children! Rosemary was also a strong supporter of both Kennedy brothers, and was invited to the White House, where JFK offered to make scrambled eggs for his guests!

I really enjoyed Rosemary's open and engaging account of her life, from her nomadic childhood up until the death of Bing Crosby and her sister Betty in the late 1970s. There is a lot of name dropping, but then she was famous in her own right and did live in Hollywood! ('Besides, if you start out with friends like Crosby and Dietrich, where are you going to go from there and be awed?') It's a shame that more people don't remember her now, apart from being George's aunt, because she had a beautiful voice and face and lived a fascinating life at the heart of America's golden age. Onto her second book! show less

Tracklist
1 In The Still Of The Night 3:22
2 My Heart Belongs To Daddy 4:10
3 I Get A Kick Out Of You 3:43
4 Get Out Of Town 3:22
5 I Concentrate On You 5:53
6 Just One Of Those Things 4:07
7 I've Got You Under My Skin 3:52
8 It's De-Lovely 3:09
9 You're The Top 3:14
10 Anything Goes 3:01

Credits
Bass – Bob Maize
Cornet, Flugelhorn – Warren Vaché
Drums – Jake Hanna
Flute – David Ladd
Guitar – Cal Collins
Liner Notes – Leonard Feather
Music By – Cole Porter
Piano – Nat Pierce
Producer – Carl show more E. Jefferson
Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton
Vibraphone – Cal Tjader
Vocals – Rosemary Clooney show less

Tracklist
1-1 The Four Winds And The Seven Seas
1-2 Don't Cry Joe
1-3 Why Don't You Haul Me Off And Love Me
1-4 Me And My Teddy Bear
1-5 A Good Time Was Had By All
1-6 Why Fight The Feeling
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
1-7 Where Do I Go From You
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
1-8 Beautiful Brown Eyes
1-9 Shotgun Boogie
1-10 Come On-A My House
1-11 Kentucky Waltz
1-12 I Wish I Wuz
1-13 Half As Much
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
1-14 Tenderly
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His show more Orchestra
1-15 Be My Life's Companion
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
1-16 Botch-A Me
1-17 Haven't Got A Worry
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
1-18 Lovely Weather For Ducks
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
1-19 My Baby Rocks Me
Orchestra – Mitch Miller & His Orchestra
1-20 Winter Wonderland
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
1-21 C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
1-22 Hey There
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
1-23 This Ole House
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
1-24 Mambo Italiano
Featuring – The Mellowmen
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
1-25 Where Will The Dimple Be
1-26 Sailor Boys Have Talked to Me in English
1-27 Mangoes
1-28 You Can't Lose The Blues With Colours

2-1 The Lady Is A Tramp
2-2 Sweet Leilani
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-3 You'll Never Know
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-4 When You Wish Upon A Star
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-5 Over The Rainbow
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-6 The Atchison Topeka And The Santa Fe
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-7 The Continental
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-8 In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-9 It Might As Well Be Spring
Orchestra – Harry James And His Orchestra
2-10 It's Bad For Me
2-11 Memories Of You
2-12 Blue Rose
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-13 Sophisticated Lady
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-14 Mood Indigo
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-15 I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-16 It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-17 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-18 Hey Baby
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-19 Me And You
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-20 Grievin'
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-21 I'm Checkin' Out Goodbye
Orchestra – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
2-22 Doncha Go 'Way Mad
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
2-23 Together
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
2-24 What Is There To Say
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
2-25 How About You
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra

3-1 The Kid's A Dreamer
3-2 I Still Feel The Same About You
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Vocals – Betty Clooney
3-3 Mixed Emotions
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-4 I'll Be Around
3-5 Did Anyone Call
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-6 Who Kissed Me Last Night
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-7 Blues In The Night
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-8 If I Had A Penny
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-9 I Laughed Till I Cried
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-10 What Would You Do (If You Were In My Place)
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
3-11 It Just Happened To Happen To Me
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-12 When I See You
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-13 When You Love Someone
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
3-14 You Make Me Feel So Young
Orchestra – Norman Leyden And His Orchestra
3-15 What Is There To Say
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-16 Brave Man
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
3-17 Love You Didn't Do Right By Me
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
3-18 Young at Heart
3-19 Blame It On My Youth
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
3-20 A Touch Of The Blues
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
3-21 Come Rain Or Come Shine
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
3-22 Independent (On My Own)
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
3-23 I'm Glad There Is You
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
3-24 Love Letters
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
3-25 Everything Happens To Me
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra
3-26 I'm In The Mood For Love
Orchestra – Frank Comstock And His Orchestra

4-1 Marrying For Love
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Vocals – Guy Mitchell
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Vocals – Guy Mitchell
4-2 You're Just In Love
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Vocals – Guy Mitchell
4-3 House Of Singing Bamboo
Orchestra – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Vocals – Guy Mitchell
4-4 Peach Tree Street
Vocals – Frank Sinatra
4-5 Cherry Pies Ought To Be You
Orchestra – Axel Stordahl Orchestra
Vocals – Frank Sinatra
4-6 Too Old To Cut The Mustard
Vocals – Marlene Dietrich
4-7 Good For Nothin'
Vocals – Marlene Dietrich
4-8 Little Josey
Vocals – Jimmy Boyd
4-9 Dennis The Menace
Vocals – Jimmy Boyd
4-10 It's The Same All Over The World
Vocals – Marlene Dietrich
4-11 Sisters
Orchestra – Paul Weston And His Orchestra
Vocals – Betty Clooney
4-12 Open Up Your Heart
Featuring – The Buddy Cole Quartet
4-13 Mr. And Mrs.
4-14 You Are My Sunshine
Featuring – The Collins Kids
Vocals – Gene Autry
4-15 Fancy Meeting You Here
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-16 On A Slow Boat To China
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-17 I Can't Get Started
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-18 Hindustan
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-19 It Happened In Monterey
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-20 You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-21 Love Won't Let You Get Away
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-22 How About You
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-23 Brazil
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-24 Isle Of Capri
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-25 Say "Si Si"
Vocals – Bing Crosby

4-26 Calcutta
Vocals – Bing Crosby
4-27 Love Wont Let You Get Away
Vocals – Bing Crosby show less

Tracklist
1 Hey Baby
Soloist, Baritone Saxophone – Harry Carney
Written-By – D. Ellington*
3:53
2 Sophisticated Lady
Written-By – D. Ellington*, I. Mills*, M. Parish*
2:57
3 Me And You
Soloist, Trumpet – Ray Nance
Written-By – D. Ellington*
2:28
4 Passion Flower
Soloist, Reeds – Johnny Hodges
Written-By – B. Strayhorn*
4:33
5 I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
Written-By – D. Ellington*, H. Nemo*, I. Mills*, J. Redmond*
2:37
6 It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
Soloist, Reeds – show more Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges
Soloist, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Hamilton
Soloist, Trumpet – Clark Terry
Written-By – D. Ellington*, I. Mills*
2:48
7 Grievin'
Soloist, Reeds – Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves
Soloist, Trumpet – "Cat" Anderson*
Written-By – B. Strayhorn*, D. Ellington*
4:10
8 Blue Rose
Written-By – D. Ellington*
2:21
9 I'm Checkin' Out, Goombye
Soloist, Clarinet – Jimmy Hamilton
Soloist, Trumpet – Ray Nance
Written-By – B. Strayhorn*, D. Ellington*
3:09
10 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Written-By – D. Ellington*, P.F. Webster*
3:07
11 Mood Indigo
Bass Clarinet – Harry Carney
Soloist, Trumpet – Willie Cook
Written-By – A. Bigard*, D. Ellington*, I. Mills*
6:28
Bonus Tracks
12 If You Were In My Place (What Would You Do?)
Soloist, Piano – Billy Strayhorn
Soloist, Trumpet – Clark Terry
Written-By – D. Ellington*, H. Nemo*, I. Mills*
3:01
13 Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'
Soloist, Trumpet – Clark Terry
Written-By – B. Strayhorn*, D. Ellington*, L. Gaines*
2:40

Credits

Double Bass [Bass] – Jimmy Woode
Drums – Sam Woodyard
Photography By [Liner Photography] – Don Hunstein
Recording Supervisor [Rosemary Clooney Vocals] – Billy Strayhorn
Reeds – Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Russell Procope
Trombone – Britt Woodman, John Sanders, Quentin Jackson
Trumpet – "Cat" Anderson*, Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Willie Cook
Vocals – Rosemary Clooney show less